Ahead of PM Modi’s US visit, Trump’s top economic adviser calls India’s tariffs ‘enormously high’
As Indian Prime Minister Modi embarked on his key visit to France and the US, the chief economic adviser to US President Donald Trump, Kevin Hassett, said that India’s “enormously high” tariffs present a significant barrier to imports.
Speaking on Monday (Feb 10), Hassett said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have much to discuss with Trump when they meet.
Ever since his return to the White House, Trump has forced his belief that the United States should implement reciprocal tariffs equivalent to those imposed by other countries. In an interview with CNBC, Hassett said, “If they go down, we’ll go down.”
He further said, “Almost every trading partner has much higher tariffs than we do,” adding that nations such as Canada, Mexico, and Britain maintain tariffs equal to those of the United States.
PM Modi embarks on key visit to France, US
On Monday, Prime Minister Modi embarked on an important visit to France and the United States. At Macron’s invitation, Modi will be in France from February 10 to 12, where he will co-chair the AI Action Summit.
Also read: AI’s impact on environment and inequality dominates global summit in Paris
Following his visit to France, Modi will travel to the United States for a two-day visit at Trump’s invitation. This meeting will be their first since Trump began his second term in January.
Discussions on tariffs, mini-trade deal: What to expect from Modi’s US visit
Discussions on tariffs are expected between Modi and Trump, with Indian officials indicating openness to exploring a potential mini-trade deal, according to Reuters. An official told Reuters that Modi’s early visit was intended to prevent a “trade war-like situation that is happening between the United States and China.”
Trump has previously criticised India’s trade policies, referring to the country as a “very big abuser” and urging it to purchase more US-made security equipment to establish a fairer trade balance.
Ahead of Modi’s visit, Reuters reported that India is contemplating tariff reductions across multiple sectors, including electronics, medical equipment, and chemicals. This move is aimed at increasing US exports while aligning with India’s domestic manufacturing goals.
Trade relations between India and the United States have strengthened over the past decade, with Washington increasingly viewing New Delhi as a strategic counterbalance to China’s regional influence.
(With inputs from agencies)
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