Tariffs, trade, immigration loom large over Modi-Trump meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with U.S. President Donald Trump is with the objective of managing the relationship with the newly re-elected President, whose style revolves around an ‘America First’ ethos and a trademark unpredictability.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday evening (early Thursday Indian time, February 13, 2025) for bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, presumably with the objective of managing the relationship with the newly re-elected President, whose style revolves around an ‘America First’ ethos and a trademark unpredictability.

Tariffs, trade in defence and energy, immigration, and the Indo-Pacific are on the menu for Thursday’s bilateral discussions at the White House. The days and hours in the run up to the meeting were not without drama. Last week, the government faced flack in Parliament after the Trump administration deported 104 Indian citizens to India, shackling many of them.

On Thursday morning (February 13, 2025), Mr. Trump announced that he would be signing an executive order on reciprocal tariffs in the afternoon — three hours before the meeting with the Prime Minister. Mr. Trump has already shocked the world by reinstating 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium, imposing tariffs on China, announcing – and then pausing – tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

The government had announced some tariff reductions and elimination as part of the Union Budget on February 1, including high-end motorcycles (impacting Harley-Davidson bikes from the U.S. ), textiles and electronics. Reports also suggest that India is considering tariff cuts on other U.S. imports.

These steps were “well received” by the Trump administration, a senior White House official said, calling them “early but modest” moves. The official was one of several who spoke to reporters on a Thursday morning briefing call.

The official suggested that there would be an announcement around what they described as a “fair” bilateral trade agreement between India and the U.S. in 2025. Mr. Trump views countries that have trade surpluses with America as taking advantage of the U.S.

Asked about the future of the India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), a broad framework technology partnership signed by the Modi government and Biden administration, the official said he expected technology collaboration to continue under the Trump administration, emphasising supply chain resilience and diversification, semiconductors and critical minerals.