President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and India are “continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations” and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his “very good friend,” predicting a “successful conclusion” to talks he said would continue in the coming weeks.
Trump posted the message on his Truth Social account, writing that he looked forward to speaking with Modi and expressing confidence there would be no difficulty reaching an outcome “for both of our Great Countries.” The announcement marked a notable shift in tone after a public airing of grievances last week over Modi’s show of friendliness with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The president’s conciliatory message followed a series of sharp remarks in which he criticized India’s trade practices and accused New Delhi of doing “a tremendous amount of business” with the United States while restricting U.S. access to the Indian market. Trump said India had long charged high tariffs that made it difficult for American businesses to sell there and referred to Modi at one point as the “tariff king.”
Trump initially imposed a 25 percent “reciprocal” tariff on Indian imports, and later raised tariffs on certain goods to as high as 50 percent, according to reporting on his administration’s actions. The president also linked India’s energy and defense purchases from Russia to the war in Ukraine, saying New Delhi bought most of its oil and military products from Moscow.
India’s average applied import tariff stood at about 14 percent, higher than many other large economies, according to the Wall Street Journal. For comparison, China’s average applied tariff was reported at roughly 6.5 percent.
The spat intensified after Modi was seen walking hand in hand with Putin at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China, an appearance that many viewed as a public signaling of closer ties between New Delhi, Moscow and Beijing. The three leaders were later photographed laughing in a huddle at the gathering, which Chinese officials billed as an alternative to the Western-led global order.
At the summit, Modi posted a photograph of himself with Putin inside the Russian president’s armored Aurus limousine and wrote that meetings with Putin were “always insightful.” Putin, speaking in Russian, greeted Modi as “dear Mr Prime Minister, dear friend,” and said Russia and India had maintained “special relations for decades.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping used the meeting to criticize what he called hegemonism and “power politics,” saying member states should “practice true multilateralism.” Xi announced Chinese financial assistance through the SCO, including free aid and loans, and signaled moves to deepen economic cooperation among member states. Putin endorsed Xi’s remarks and framed the SCO as a vehicle for a “new system of stability and security in Eurasia.”
Analysts have said the tariff dispute and public tensions with Washington may have nudged New Delhi closer to Moscow and Beijing, even as India seeks to preserve strategic autonomy. In Washington, some administration aides voiced sharper criticisms: former trade adviser Peter Navarro, while calling Modi a “great leader,” criticized the Indian prime minister for aligning with Putin and Xi, saying on Fox News he did not understand “why he’s getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping…when he’s the leader of the biggest democracy in the world.”
Trump’s announcement did not detail the substance of the ongoing trade negotiations or a timeline for specific concessions. His Truth Social post said only that he looks forward to speaking with Modi in “the upcoming weeks.”
The tariff dispute unfolded against the backdrop of broader geopolitical tensions stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. India and China have been among the largest purchasers of Russian oil since the invasion, a source of revenue Moscow has relied on amid Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly criticized leaders who have met with Putin, and has said the Russian president has avoided certain direct meetings he had previously agreed to.
The SCO summit in China also set the stage for Putin’s expected participation in a separate Chinese military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender, where other leaders, including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, were reported to be invited. Those events and the public interactions among leaders at the summit have drawn attention for their potential implications for global trade and security alignments.
U.S.-India trade talks come as both countries balance economic interests with strategic considerations. Officials in Washington and New Delhi have previously sought to expand cooperation on defense, technology and supply-chain resilience even amid tariff disputes. It remains unclear whether the renewed conversations will produce immediate tariff rollbacks or broader trade concessions on either side.
Trump’s public conciliatory tone toward Modi contrasts with his earlier denunciations and underscores the political and economic complexity of one of the globe’s most consequential bilateral relationships. The president’s pledge of further talks sets the stage for diplomatic engagement in the coming weeks, with both sides under pressure from domestic constituencies to secure favorable terms.