Finance
Days before the implementation of President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs scheme, India and the US held a trade discussion on Friday.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau spoke over the phone about enhancing security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific area as well as continuing defense cooperation.
“They discussed ongoing efforts to reduce barriers to achieve a fair and balanced bilateral trade relationship, strengthen collaboration in defence and technology, and boost security and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” said Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the US State Department, in a readout of the phone call.
According to the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), the US’s chief trade negotiator, the US goods trade deficit with India was $45.7 billion in 2024, up $5.4% ($2.4 billion) from 2023.
An estimated $129.2 billion was traded in goods between the two nations in 2024.
In 2024, the United States imported $87.4 billion worth of products from India, up 4.5 percent ($3.7 billion) from 2023, while its exports to India were $41.8 billion, up 3.4 percent ($1.4 billion) from 2023.
In addition to criticizing India’s higher tariffs on American goods, US President Trump has urged India to purchase more from the US. His officials have cited India among the countries that might be targeted for reciprocal tariffs that he plans to announce next Wednesday.
However, Trump has also discussed tolerance and exemptions without identifying the country or countries that would benefit.
Bruce gave out the readout of the phone conversation, saying that Landau also thanked Foreign Secretary Misri for India’s “assistance addressing illegal immigration to the US and asked the Indian government for continued cooperation on this issue.”
Hundreds of Indians who were discovered to have entered the nation illegally have been deported by the US.
In February 2025, the Trump administration’s first shipment of illegal migrants from India returned to India.
“The US has been carrying out deportation operations for several years now,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in response to a parliamentary query on March 17.
“From 2009 to 2024, a total of 15,564 Indian nationals have been deported by the US through chartered and commercial flights.”
Source: IANS
