‘Wonderful to speak with President Trump’: PM Modi hails India-US trade breakthrough | India News – The Times of India
Narendra Modi with Donald Trump
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed the India–US trade deal announced by US President Donald Trump, stating that he was delighted that tariffs on Indian exports to the United States would now be reduced to 18%.PM’s response came shortly after Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that Washington and New Delhi had finalised a long-pending trade agreement following months of negotiations. Under the deal, the US has lowered its reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25% to 18%, with the revised rate taking effect immediately.
Sharing details of his phone call with the US President, PM Modi said that the discussion marked a positive step forward in bilateral ties. In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote, “Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.”PM Modi said that loser cooperation between India and the US, the world’s two largest democracies, would benefit people in both countries. “When two large economies and the world’s largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation,” he wrote.In the same post, the Prime Minister also praised Trump’s leadership on global issues, linking the trade breakthrough to broader international stability. “President Trump’s leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace,” PM Modi said. He added that he looked forward to working closely with Trump to take the partnership to “unprecedented heights”.Announcing the deal earlier, Trump said it followed his conversation with PM Modi and described the agreement as a result of “friendship and respect”. In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote that the US would reduce its tariff on India to 18%, while India would move to cut its tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American products to zero. He also claimed that India had committed to buying over $500 billion worth of US energy, technology, agricultural and other products.“It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela.” Trump wrote in the post.
.
The deal comes amid a broader reset of India’s trade relationships. Just days earlier, India and the European Union announced what both sides called the “mother of all” trade deals. While the EU is India’s largest trading partner as a bloc, the US continues to be India’s single largest trading partner.At the same time, India has reiterated that it will protect sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy even as it deepens trade engagement.New Delhi has also underlined its policy of strategic autonomy, particularly in managing energy imports, as global economic and geopolitical pressures evolve.