Trump says India-US trade deal reached

Washington: President Donald Trump on Monday said that India and the United States had reached a trade deal, outlining key elements after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he described as “one of my greatest friends.”

In a detailed post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would immediately reduce the US reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, calling it a major shift in bilateral trade ties linked to energy cooperation and broader geopolitical goals.

The US President said that the two leaders discussed “many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine.” He claimed that PM Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil and to increase purchases from the United States and, potentially, from Venezuela.

“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump wrote.

According to Trump, the trade deal would take effect immediately. He said India would “move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO.”

Trump also said PM Modi committed to “BUY AMERICAN” at a much higher level. He added that India would purchase “over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of US Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products.”

“Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward,” the US President wrote. “Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE.”

The post marked a detailed public account from Trump following his call with PM Modi earlier in the day.

The phone call came a day before External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is due to begin a visit to the United States.

Earlier on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that Jaishankar would travel to Washington this week to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“The Ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals,” the ministry said in a media release.

During the visit, Jaishankar will also hold meetings with senior members of the US administration, the ministry said, without providing further details.

India and the United States have been engaged in negotiations aimed at expanding trade and investment ties, with officials on both sides indicating that talks were nearing a final stage.

Energy cooperation has become a central element of the relationship since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, with Washington urging partners to diversify away from Russian supplies.

India has said its energy decisions are guided by national interest and market conditions, while also calling for an end to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

India-US ties have expanded steadily across defence, technology and economic sectors over the past decade. The two countries are also partners in the QUAD grouping, which focuses on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

IANS