Olusegun Ariyo
Indian government officials on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing additional tariff cuts ahead of a meeting this week with US President Donald Trump that could boost American exports to India and avoid a potential trade war.
Urban Express News Online reports that Modi’s two-day US visit from Wednesday comes as Trump plans to announce reciprocal tariffs on many countries, including tariffs of 25% on all steel and aluminium imports by the largest trading partner the United States.
Recall that Trump has previously called India a very big abuser of trade, urging it to buy more American-made security equipment to move towards a fair two-way trading relationship.
According to government officials, India is considering tariff cuts in at least a dozen sectors, from electronics to medical and surgical equipment, and chemicals, to boost U.S. exports in line with New Delhi’s domestic production plans.
The officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Meanwhile, India’s trade and foreign ministries, as well as the prime minister’s office have not yet commented on the development.
The trade ties between the two nations have grown steadily over the last decade, with Washington increasingly viewing New Delhi as a counterbalance to China’s growing regional influence.
In a statement on Monday, Modi said, “This visit will be an opportunity to build upon the successes of our collaboration in his (Trump’s) first term.”
He added that technology, trade, defence, energy, and supply chain resilience were areas in which the partnership could be elevated and deepened.
