Washington: India’s high tariffs on US goods is ‘unacceptable’ and must be withdrawn, President Donald Trump said today ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.
Trump early this morning tweeted, “I look forward to speaking with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi about the fact that India, for years having put very high Tariffs against the United States, just recently increased the Tariffs even further. This is unacceptable and the Tariffs must be withdrawn!”
Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Modi on Friday on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. This would be his first meeting with Modi after the BJP’s stunning victory in the general elections. It comes after the India visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during which he met Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The Trump-Modi meeting assumes significance in the wake of the strain that has popped up in the bilateral relationship on a host of trade and economic issues.
India has raised tariffs on 28 items exported from the US in retaliation to America’s withdrawal of preferential access for Indian products.
The Trump administration wants Modi to lower the trade barriers and embrace ‘fair and reciprocal’ trade.
| Modi holds talks with Abe |
| Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held talks Thursday during which they discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, the first meeting between the two leaders since the start of Japan’s Reiwa era.
The Prime Minister said that President Ram Nath Kovind will participate in the coronation ceremony of Emperor Naruhito in October. Modi thanked Abe for his warm welcome to him and the Indian delegation visiting Japan for the G20 Summit. He also appreciated Japan’s leadership as the G20 chairman. “PM @narendramodi met Japanese PM @AbeShinzo ahead of the #G20Summit. Discussed broad range of topics of mutual interest. PM said that he was looking forward to visit of PM Abe to India later this year for the Annual Summit,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. |