Trump confident of India trade deal despite new tariff threat

This week, the US proposed new tariffs on dozens of countries including India over concerns of forced labour. Donald Trump confident of India trade deal, calls Narendra Modi a 'great friend' Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. US President Donald Trump (right) has repeatedly spoken of his warm relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2025. Trump confident of India trade deal despite new tariff threat President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that India and the US will soon reach a trade deal, even as fresh tariff proposals from his administration threaten to complicate negotiations. "We'll get to a deal, because I like your prime minister a lot," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. "He's a good friend of mine. We get along great, and we're going to make a deal." His comments came after a US delegation, led by chief negotiator Brendan Lynch, held several days of talks in Delhi aimed at finalising an interim trade agreement between the two countries. India's commerce ministry said both sides remained committed to reaching a mutually beneficial bilateral trade pact. But the talks this week also faced certain unexpected hurdles. Even as the US delegation was still in Delhi, the US trade department proposed new tariffs on dozens of countries over concerns they were not doing enough to tackle forced labour. Even as the US delegation was still in Delhi, the US trade department proposed new tariffs on dozens of countries over concerns they were not doing enough to tackle forced labour. India was on the list, facing an additional 12.5% tariff on its exports to the US. Delhi has said that the proposed tariffs are not yet final and that the US Trade Representative would consider public comments and testimony before taking a final decision. It added that talks on a broader trade agreement were continuing. Meanwhile, Trump also repeated his criticism of India's trade policies, saying the country had for years "taken advantage" of the US through high tariffs. "They charged us tremendous tariffs and paid nothing...Now it is the exact reverse and we are making a lot of money with India," he told reporters on Thursday. India was among the first countries to open trade talks with the US last year, but a final agreement is yet to be reached. The two countries agreed to a framework of the interim deal in February and had been expected to finalise it in March. But the talks were overshadowed by uncertainty after the US Supreme Court struck down many of Trump's tariffs, ruling them "illegal". The two countries agreed to a framework of the in February and had been expected to finalise it in March. But the talks were overshadowed by uncertainty after the US Supreme Court struck down many of Trump's tariffs, ruling them "illegal". At one point, the US imposed tariffs of up to 50% on some Indian goods before cutting them to 18% in February. After the top court ruling, they were reduced to 10%. This slash in duty came after India in February committed to buying more American goods, including energy, aircrafts, technology and agricultural products worth $500bn. This slash in duty came after India in February more American goods, including energy, aircrafts, technology and agricultural products worth $500bn. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook. Some 18 Republicans joined the Democrats to back the measure, after a smaller group broke ranks on another vote in recent days. The insect, which has been found in America for the first time since 1966, is a growing concern in the southern US. A UFC fight on the White House lawn is among a range of events planned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding. It is taking place weeks after Xi met the leaders of the US and Russia - two countries that loom large over North Korea's foreign policy. The bear had earlier attacked four people in an industrial part of Fukushima, in Japan's north-east. The president is directing money into coal as the Iran war drives up energy costs for Americans. BBC Verify examines how the biggest change to the White House in decades has transformed in the last year. After weeks of renovation, water has begun refilling the historic pool, which has been coated in a colour named "American flag blue".