WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States and India will continue negotiating a trade agreement, less than two weeks after he imposed new tariffs on Indian goods for the country’s purchase of Russian oil.
Trump called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi his “very good friend” in a post on Truth Social, saying the two leaders would speak in the “upcoming weeks” to address trade barriers between the nations.
The announcement marked a softer tone following Trump’s recent criticism of India. Last week, he noted that India had offered to cut tariff rates on U.S. imports to zero, but added that the country “should have done so years ago.”
Late last month, the U.S. president added a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, raising the overall rate to 50 percent when combined with a 25 percent reciprocal tariff India already imposed. The move followed India’s purchase of Russian oil, which it defended as necessary to meet domestic energy needs.
Some analysts have said the tariffs contributed to India seeking closer ties with Russia and China. Modi met last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump later said in a social media post, “We’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China,” but subsequently clarified that he does not believe the United States has lost India.
Modi responded on Saturday, expressing appreciation and reciprocation for Trump’s “sentiments and positive assessment” of U.S.-India relations.
