Donald Trump News / India has a great Prime Minister... Trump praises PM Modi

Donald Trump News: US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) expressed hope about the India-US tariff talks and praised the leadership ability of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He described PM Modi as a "very smart person" and a "great friend". Trump made this statement while talking to reporters at the swearing-in ceremony of US Attorney for New Jersey Alina Hubba. He said that PM Modi's recent visit to the US was helpful in further strengthening the economic relationship between the two countries.

Described PM Modi as a great Prime Minister

President Trump said that PM Modi is a very smart person and also a very good friend of his. There has been positive talks between the two countries regarding tariffs and good relations are expected to continue in the future as well. Trump's remarks came after PM Modi visited the US in February, in which the two leaders planned to negotiate the first tranche of a multi-sectoral bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by the end of 2025. This agreement will further strengthen the economic relationship between India and the US.

25 percent tariff announced

In a significant policy announcement from the Oval Office on Thursday, President Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported vehicles entering the US. The move has been taken to boost American domestic manufacturing. The tariff will come into effect from April 2 and will affect about half of the vehicles sold in the US, including US brands assembled abroad.

India was also targeted earlier

Trump had earlier also criticized India's tariff policies, saying that India is one of the countries imposing the highest tariffs in the world and doing business there can be challenging. In February, he had announced that the US would soon impose reciprocal tariffs on countries like India and China. Trump clearly stated that if a country levies tariffs from the US, the US will also impose tariffs in the same proportion so that fairness is maintained in trade. He also said that the US was already planning to implement this policy, but it got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objection to India's automobile tariffs

President Trump particularly criticised India's tariffs on automobile imports. He said India charges more than 100 per cent auto tariffs to the US, which is not fair to the trade balance. Addressing a joint session of the US Congress, Trump said the reciprocal tax will come into effect from April 2 and it will be a significant duty on countries that have harmed the US on trade for decades. He also discussed tariffs imposed by the European Union, China, Brazil and Mexico and announced that the US will impose tariffs on other countries in the future based on their actions.