NEW DELHI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke with US President Donald Trump by phone on Thursday, as New Delhi seeks relief from 50 per cent tariffs imposed by Washington on some of the country’s key exports.
“We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments,” Modi said in a post on X. Modi and Trump have spoken three times since Trump doubled tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50 per cent, hitting exports of textiles, chemicals and food items such as shrimp.
Modi described his conversation with Trump as “warm and engaging” and said their countries would continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity. Trade negotiations between the two sides collapsed in late July, after India resisted opening its market for US farm products and declined to acknowledge President Trump’s role in mediating during an India-Pakistan conflict.
Talks have continued since then, amid signs Indian refiners are cutting Russian oil purchases after the US imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil LKOH.MM, to pressure Moscow over the Ukraine war.
US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer is in New Delhi on a two-day visit to discuss trade ties, as New Delhi seeks relief from punitive tariffs imposed by Washington over its Russian oil purchases. Russian President Vladimir Putin was in New Delhi on a state visit last week and offered India uninterrupted fuel suppliesand challenged US pressure on India to not buy Russian fuel.
