US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration is continuing negotiations to address trade barriers with India and that he would talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a sign of a reset after weeks of diplomatic friction.
Trump, in a marked shift of tone, said he looked forward to speaking to Modi in the "upcoming weeks" and expressed optimism that they could finalize a trade deal." I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries," he said in a post on social media.
Modi reciprocated the optimism in a social media post on Wednesday, saying Washington and New Delhi "are close friends and natural partners."He said teams from both countries are working to conclude the trade discussions at the earliest."I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people," Modi said.
The latest remarks from both leaders drove India's shares up over 0.5%.
For months, Trump had assured that the two sides were nearing a trade agreement, but he then doubled new tariffs on Indian imports to 50%, raising concerns about the future of the US-India relationship, which had grown stronger in recent years, including during Trump's first term.
Over the past few weeks, Trump and his top officials have criticised India for buying oil from Russia and said that India was funding the war in Ukraine, an accusation New Delhi denies.
The discord with the US has coincided with India improving relations with China. Late last month, Modi made his first visit to China in seven years for a summit hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and was seen holding hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"While the social media statements by Trump and Modi signal a potential rapprochement between the US and India, it is still premature to assume that a resolution will arrive swiftly," Madhavi Arora, economist at Emkay Global, said.
"With Trump, we will need to wait for more concrete signals that a deal is in the offering."
Meeting to commence
Indian and US trade officials are likely to plan visits to restart in-person trade talks in September, according to sources. A planned visit by US trade negotiators to New Delhi from August 25-29 was canceled, after trade talks his major roadblocks.
India's trade ministry declined to comment on the report of a new round of meetings between trade negotiators.
US-India two-way goods trade totaled $129 billion in 2024, with a $45.8 billion US trade deficit, according to US Census Bureau data.
Trump last week said India had offered to reduce its tariffs on US goods to zero, adding that the proposal was late and the South Asian country should have lowered its duties years ago.
Reuters reported Trump urged the European Union to impose 100% tariffs on China and India as part of a strategy to pressure Putin.
Indian government officials in New Delhi said they do not believe the EU is planning any sanctions against India and New Delhi has been assured that no negative surprise will derail the ongoing trade talks with the EU.
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