President Donald Trump is meeting Thursday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has heaped praise on him and is hoping to avoid tariffs that the new administration has slapped on other countries in its opening weeks.
Modi is a nationalist and has talked up his warm relationship with Trump during his first term while cheering his winning back the White House. The Indian leader is looking to improve relations with Washington and the West overall, which have been frosty lately after Modi refused to condemn Russia for its war on Ukraine.
The trip comes after Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party’s victory during a high-stakes state legislature election last weekend in India’s federal territory, including New Delhi. The prime minister said before leaving for Washington that the visit was a chance to “deepen our partnership” in key areas such as technology, trade, defense and energy.
The White House visit isn’t likely to be all smiles, though.
Trump has already imposed tariffs on China and says more are coming against the European Union, while threatening similar against Canada and Mexico and expanding tariffs on steel and aluminum he initially imposed during his first term.
Trump has repeatedly dubbed India a “tariff king.” In response, New Delhi has shown a willingness to buy more American oil while lowering its own tariffs on U.S. goods, including on some Harley-Davidson motorcycles, from 50% to 40%.
Also, India in 2023 dropped retaliatory tariffs on U.S. almonds, apples, chickpeas, lentils and walnuts.
Then there’s a recent deal allowing U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India, and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones.
Still, Trump has decried U.S. trade deficits around the world and said he’ll work to shrink them, including during his meetings at the White House last week with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
The U.S. is India’s largest trade partner, but the two countries have a trade deficit of $50 billion in India’s favor.
The Indo-U.S. goods and services trade totaled around $190.1 billion in 2023. According to India’s External Affairs Ministry, the U.S. exports to India were worth nearly $70 billion and imports $120 billion.
Another topic likely to be discussed is immigration. Modi can point to India’s having accepted the return of 104 migrants brought back on a U.S. military plane — the first such flight to the country as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border.
For the Trump administration, meanwhile, India is seen as integral to the U.S. strategy of containing China in the Indo-Pacific. Modi’s country is hosting a summit of a group of countries known as the Quad — made up of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia — later this year.