India and the United States agreed on Thursday to begin conversations to obtain an early commercial agreement and resolve their confrontation on tariffs, since New Delhi promised to buy more oil, gas and military equipment in the United States and fight against illegal immigration.
The series of agreements arose after the conversations between the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in the White House, only a few hours after Trump criticized the climate for US companies in India and presented a road map for reciprocal tariffs in countries that put duties in the United States. Imports
“Prime Minister Modi recently announced reductions to unfair and very strong rates of India that limit the access of the United States to the Indian market, very strongly,” Trump said. “And it’s really a big problem, I must say.”
The agreement to resolve commercial concerns could be made within the next seven months, said Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
A joint statement after the meeting said that Washington welcomed the recent steps of New Delhi to reduce tariffs on selected products in the United States and increase market access to US agricultural products while seeking to negotiate the initial segments of a commercial agreement for the autumn of 2025.
While both leaders “had their perspectives” about tariffs, “what is most notable … is the fact that we have a path to follow on this issue,” said Misri.
Some of the agreements of the leaders are aspirational: India wants to increase by “billions of dollars” in their purchases of US defense equipment and can make Washington the “number one supplier” of oil and gas, Trump said at a conference at a conference of joint press with modi.
And Delhi wants to trade with Washington by 2030, said Modi. The planned cooperation in nuclear energy, also discussed by leaders, faces continuous legal challenges.
“We are also racing the way to provide India with stealthy f-35 combatants,” Trump said.
Misri, the Indian official, later said that the F-35 Agreement was a proposal at this time, without any ongoing formal process. The White House did not respond to a request for comments on any agreement.
What Trump wants
Although Trump had a warm relationship with Modi in his first term, he said again on Thursday that India’s rates were “very high” and promised to match them, even after their previous taxes on steel and aluminum, Metal producer, producer to India particularly difficult.
“We are being reciprocal with India,” Trump said during the press conference. “Regardless of India, we charge them.”
Modi promised to protect the interests of India.
“One thing that I appreciate deeply, and I learn from President Trump, is that he maintains the Supreme National Interest,” said Modi. “Like him, I also maintain the national interest of India at the top of everything else.”
The two leaders were praised and agreed to deepen security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, a little veiled reference to the competition with China, as well as begin joint production in technologies such as artificial intelligence.
When asked before the meeting about the steps that India was giving, a source described it as a “gift” for Trump designed to reduce commercial tensions. A Trump assistant said the president sees the defense and sales of energy to India by reducing the commercial deficit of the United States.
Energy purchases of the United States could .
Tariffs will continue to dominate the relationship of the two countries, said Richard Rossow, head of the Indian program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a group of experts.
“It’s going to be a boxing game,” he said. “India is willing to receive some successes, but there is a limit.” The United States has a commercial deficit of $ 45.6 billion with India. In general, the average rate weighted by the US trade has been approximately 2.2 percent, according to data from the World Trade Organization, compared to the 12PC of India.
Fight illegal immigration
Trump wants more help from India about unauthorized immigration. India is an important source of immigrants to the United States, including a large number in the technology industry on work visas and others in the United States illegally.
The joint declaration said that the two countries agreed to aggressively address illegal immigration and human trafficking by strengthening the cooperation of the application of the law.
India can be critical for Trump’s strategy to frustrate China, which many in their administration see as the main rival of the United States. India distrusts China’s neighboring military accumulation and competes for many of the same markets.
Modi also worries that Trump can reach an agreement with China that excludes India, according to Mikesh Aghi, president of the Lobbying Forum Strategic Association Lobbying Group of the United States.
India has continued its ties with Russia while carrying out its war with Ukraine. India has remained a great Russian energy consumer, for example, while the West has worked to reduce its own consumption since the war began.
“The world thought that India is somehow a neutral country throughout this process,” said Modi. “But this is not true. India has a side, and that side is peace. “
