PM Modi in US Amid Tariff Tensions, Visit to Strengthen Ties

New Delhi: The PM is currently busy with high-level diplomatic travel. The attention now shifts to PM Modi’s U.S. visit on Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025 after his groundbreaking trip to France. In the White House, he will confer with the US President Donald Trump on critical matters, including trade, immigration, defense, and energy cooperation.

This particular visit comes the context of Trump’s tariff war, and ETV Bharat raises the question: Will this visit make India-specific tariffs disappear and foster the India – America ties further?

While talking to ETV Bharat, Yogesh Gupta, former ambassador to US said, “I consider the PM’s visit of 12-13 Feb 2025 to the US very significant, because it affords both the nations an opportunity to deliberate on important issues like the Indo-Pacific geopolitics, sovereignty, freedom of navigation, non-acceptability of Chinese belligerence towards her neighbors, Ukraine issue, and the middle eastern grapple’.’

He added, "It will provide an opportunity to exchange views on other important international and regional issues like the situation in Bangladesh, Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism against India and the exception for the development of Chabahar port to assist Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics."

“Both countries will consider the American provisions for developing F 414 GE Engines, Stryker Combat Vehicles, undertaking space missions, and manufacturing small atomic reactors, microchips, semiconductors, and even solar equipment. The USA has not placed any tariffs on India as of now. These countries will make an analysis of their trade, investment, and defense collaboration and how they could trade more to decrease the deficit, supply chain shifts, and higher investments in mutual affairs,” he added. 

New Delhi is also worried about the recent hotly debated removal of Indian detainees and that makes the prime minister’s next trip to the USA quite sensitive as well.

Diplomat Gupta spoke on the issue and reaffirmed that India will not condone illegal immigration of any sort. He said that India is prepared to receive back anyone who can be established as an Indian citizen with the necessary paperwork. In addition, he mentioned that India shall support the USA in taking care of their repatriation for these persons on humanitarian grounds. “I expect this matter to form one of the main topics of talks between the heads of both countries. Moreover, New Delhi’s goal is to motivate Washington to relax the visa regime for Indian nationals, including tourists, business people, and skilled H1B applicants, in recognition of their service in the development of the US,” he noted.

At the same time, Prof. Harsh V. Pant, who specializes in international relations, security studies, and strategic affairs, has argued that this is a very important visit as it is Trump's first 100 days. It could allow India and the U.S. to plant the groundwork for the following four years, allowing their relationship to be more certain.

12-20 PANT Professor comment on the panel discussion on How Trump Presidency Will Affect India-US Relations at the Observer Research Foundation , 12112016

“India is already showing its readiness to collaborate with the U.S. regarding illegal border crossing, having performed one round of deportations. Besides, India has recently started relaxing tariffs on certain products across various industries. Admittedly, India will remain a powerful customer of American military hardware. All in all, a multitude of factors will ensure that India remains occupied in relations with the US, and on the other side, India shall defend its readiness to cooperate broadly. Despite some efforts being more difficult than others, a fundamental requirement will be the top leadership, which only brings to light the significance of this visit. The universal implication of this visit is clearly that both the Indian and the US leadership care about the partnership and are ready to put effort into it,” – noted Harsh V. Pant.

Modi traveling this early during the tenure of Trump as US President indicates that India wants to engage with the US at the highest diplomatic level. In addition, the board meeting that was held right after the inauguration of Trump indicates the willingness of both sides to keep working together on the Indo-Pacific region. All in all, this partnership is bound to be sustained, or at the very least most of it, regardless of how erratic Mr. Trump’s administration is. Pant elaborates, The purpose of this trip is to counteract that kind of volatility.” 

As per the Ministry of External Affairs, President Trump’s inauguration makes Modi one of the first world leaders to visit the United States. These facts coupled with the fact that PM Modi was contacted for a visit to the US agenda less than three weeks into the new administration shows how important the India-US partnership is and also the bipartisanship that thos partnership enjoys in the US.

Last week, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri claimed that President Trump's first term marked the beginning of the cordial relationship he had with Prime Minister Modi. There is a clear overlap of interests between the two nations along with their trade and commercial investments, technological advances, defence collaborations, counter-terrorism measures within the Indo Pacific, and certainly, the intercultural exchanges. This relationship is further strengthened exponentially by the 5.4 million Indians living in the US and more than 350,000 students studying in India.

President Trump once branded India as a ‘notorious trade violator’ and bluntly asked India to increase its procurement of American security apparatus. This action is vital for a more balanced and advantageous trade deal between the two national economies.