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Trade: Trump asks PM Modi to buy more “American security equipment”

Trade: Trump asks PM Modi to buy more “American security equipment”

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Virendra Pandit

 

New Delhi: Within a week after starting his second stint in the White House, American businessman-turned-politician, US President Donald Trump, has started pressuring all and sundry to do more business to Make America Great Again (MAGA).

It is in this vein that he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to move towards a ‘fair bilateral trading relationship’ and buy more American-made security equipment in keeping with his much-publicized grouse against India for charging “tremendously high” import tariffs on American products, the media reported on Tuesday.

“The President emphasized the importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship,” according to a readout of President Trump’s telephonic conversation with PM Modi on Monday, shared by the White House.

They also discussed plans for the Indian PM to visit the White House and India hosting Quad Leaders for the first time later this year.

“The leaders discussed plans for Prime Minister Modi to visit the White House, underscoring the strength of the friendship and strategic ties between our nations,” the readout noted. 

This was PM Modi’s first interaction with Trump after his inauguration as the 47th US President on January 20. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who attended the event in Washington, represented India at the invitation of the US government.

President Trump’s emphasis on a ‘fair bilateral trading relationship’ in his call with PM Modi was in line with his focus on reducing America’s trade deficit with partner countries. In his election campaign last year, he had described India as a ‘tariff king’ and warned of reciprocal tariffs on products exported by the South Asian country.

In his America First Trade Policy brought out shortly after his swearing-in, earlier this week, Trump said that the US Department of Commerce should recommend appropriate measures, such as a global supplemental tariff or other policies, to remedy the US’ trade deficits.

The US is India’s top export destination with exports to the country valued at USD 77.5 billion in FY24 leading to a trade surplus of about USD 35 billion.

The US has been long urging India to buy more defense and security equipment from it and also source less from Russia which is facing economic sanctions from the Western world for its war against Ukraine.

The White House described the call between Trump and PM Modi as productive where the two leaders discussed expanding and deepening cooperation. “They also discussed a range of regional issues, including security in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe,” it stated.

India’s top exports to the US include engineering goods, electronic goods, gems and jewelry, pharmaceutical products, ready-made garments, light crude oil and petroleum, electrical, etc.

India’s imports from the US include minerals, fuels, oils, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, nuclear reactors, boilers and machinery, electrical machinery, etc.

 

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