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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have met in the White House to discuss trade and other mattersTrump announced a deal for Delhi to import more US oil and gas to shrink the trade deficit between the two countries.The meeting between the two comes after the US president announced a new reciprocal tariff plan, and said “our allies are worse than our enemies” when it comes to import taxesThe tit-for-tat tariffs will apply to all US trading partners, and are the latest in a series of tariff measures the Trump administration has announced No starting date for the tariffs has been confirmed, and Trump has previously used the threat of tariffs as a negotiation tacticThis video can not be playedWatch: Trump says India and US will be in negotiations on tariffsEdited by Brandon LivesayBrandon LivesayReporting from New YorkDonald Trump has previously called tariffs “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”. And he used that word today, a lot. Before meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, Trump spent about an hour speaking to media about his “reciprocal tariffs” plan.We don’t have many details beyond it being a tit for tat system where the Trump administration will determine custom tariffs for countries, based on certain restrictions that country might have on US goods. The meeting between Trump and Modi followed the same theme – tariff talk.”Whatever India charges, we charge them,” Trump told a packed room of reporters waiting for an update on the bi-lateral meeting.The two leaders also worked on new trade plans.Modi said that “in order to ensure India’s energy security, we will focus on trade in oil and gas” with the US. Trump said the US would increase military sales to India.We’re finishing our live coverage of US politics for today. If you’d like some further reading, check out these stories from across the BBC:Soutik BiswasIndia CorrespondentThe return of Trump to the White House has reignited anxieties among Indian professionals in the US, particularly H-1B visa holders. While Trump has previously cracked down on the skilled visa programme – raising rejection rates from 5-8% under Obama to 24% in 2018 – it remains unclear if similar restrictions will return. Tech leaders and Trump allies like Elon Musk support the H-1B system, but Trump’s administration has been sharply divided on immigration policy.Indians, who receive 72% of H-1B visas, are particularly vulnerable. Many fear not just visa hurdles but also growing hostility towards Indian immigrants.The latest concern is Trump’s attempt to deny automatic US citizenship to children born to temporary workers. Though blocked by federal judges for now, a higher court could revive it.A birthright citizenship order would hit Indians hard – more than five million Indians in the US hold non-immigrant visas, external. Online forums are flooded with worried South Asian parents-to-be, anxiously awaiting clarity on their children’s future.Zoya MateenBBC News, DelhiTrump and Modi shared warm relations during the US president’s first term in office. In 2020, the Indian prime minister welcomed Trump to the country with a huge rally, a day-long affair with music and dance performances held at the world’s largest cricket stadium in the city of Ahmedabad in Modi’s home state of Gujarat.Tens of thousands of Indians attended the event – aptly called “Namaste Trump!” – in a grand display of support for the US president, whose love for a spectacle and giant crowds is well-known.“Trump thinks big and the world knows what he has done to realise the American dream,” Modi told a cheering crowd in his welcome speech.The event came on the heels of a similar “Howdy, Modi!” rally in 2019 at a football stadium in Houston where Modi and Trump addressed an audience of 50,000 Indians living in the US.Once again, warm hugs and gleeful smiles were exchanged as both leaders made towering proclamations about their partnership.But as analysts have pointed out, these visits are not just about theatrics – they are carefully planned diplomatic moves.Nikhil InamdarIndia Business CorrespondentA lot has changed since Modi visited Houston in 2019, when he and Trump addressed a grand community event named “Howdy, Modi!”Trump called the gathering of 50,000 people a “profoundly historic event” – possibly the largest ever reception of a foreign leader in the US.For Modi it was a show of India’s strength as a rising superpower and of his popularity with the diaspora.Five years on, Trump and Modi share warm personal ties but the India–US relationship is more complicated.While still popular, Modi has been humbled politically, having failed to secure an outright majority in last year’s elections. The Indian economy is slowing down with foreign investors taking money out of the markets.Tariffs and H-1B visas have emerged as thorny issues, while an alleged plot by an Indian agent to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil put diplomatic ties to the test last year.But India’s role as a counter to China’s regional ambitions remains an important strategic element of the relationship.Soutik BiswasIndia CorrespondentPM Modi’s visit to the White House comes at a complex moment, as his “Make in India” manufacturing push at home meets Trump’s “America First” doctrine.Unlike their warm 2017 meeting in Washington, this visit is shadowed by global trade disputes and Trump’s unrelenting focus on tariffs, with the White House announcing plans for new reciprocal measures on India.Modi’s key priority will be avoiding the impact of US tariffs and import restrictions, ensuring India remains a vital strategic ally.He said today that he is open to reducing tariffs on American goods, repatriating undocumented Indian nationals, and increasing US oil imports to address trade imbalances.Beyond trade, Modi seeks to strengthen co-operation in technology, defence and energy, emphasising shared interests. Politically, Modi is using the visit to reaffirm India’s position as a key US ally in the Indo-Pacific, countering China’s influence. Trump’s base remains sceptical of India, seeing it as a competitor for American jobs. Despite this, the fabled ‘bromance’ between the two leaders may help bridge gaps. Nikhil InamdarIndia Business CorrespondentModi is the fourth foreign leader to visit Trump in his second presidency – an indicator of the importance both countries attach to this relationship.The two sides share deep anxieties about China’s ambitions and are part of the Quad grouping to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the Asia Pacific region.The US is also India’s second largest trading partner, while India is a big market for American multinationals.More companies – including Taiwan’s Foxconn, which makes phones for US tech giant Apple – have been moving supply chains to India as a part of a shift from China.With a big Indian diaspora in the US, the two countries also share historic people-to-people ties, even though growing illegal migration from India has become a source of irritation for Washington.Earlier this month a US military flight brought shackled deportees back to India, with their treatment sparking anger among India’s political opposition. This video can not be playedWatch: Modi borrows Maga slogan in vision to ‘Make India Great Again’US President Trump and India PM Modi have just concluded their news conference at the White House. Here are a few of their top lines:Modi says people think India is neutral in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, but he says that is “wrong”. He says India has taken the side of peace, and his position is that both parties need to come to the table to negotiate.Modi says he supports Trump’s efforts to end the war.The two leaders have now finished speaking. Trump is now talking about Russia.He repeats that he believes the European Union and Nato need to match the amount the US is giving to support Ukraine in the ongoing war. Trump spoke to Putin and Zelensky recently. He says he wanted to speak with Putin before beginning negotiations in an effort to ensure the Russian leader wanted to make a deal to end the war.Trump is asked what Russia should “give up” in negotiations with Ukraine.”Maybe Russia will give up a lot, maybe they won’t,” he says.He adds: “the negotiation really hasn’t started”.Modi turning to the topic of illegal immigration, says: “We have always been of the same opinion, and that is any verified Indian that is in the US illegally, we are fully prepared to take them back to India.””These are children of very ordinary families and they are lured by big dreams and big promises,” Modi continues, saying that some migrants are brought in by human traffickers, and do not even know they are being taken to the US.He says that human trafficking needs to be targeted to protect “the young vulnerable people” who are “fooled” into coming to the US illegally.The US has sent at least one flight of deported migrants back to India since Trump took office. India’s foreign minister said last week that India’s parliament is working with the US to ensure Indian citizens are not mistreated while being deported.The two leaders are now taking questions, and Trump was just asked about reciprocal tariffs. He tells reporters it doesn’t matter if it’s India or another country “we’re going to charge them the same tariffs they charge us”. Trump says this is the administration’s way of doing business and the US will have reciprocal tariffs. “Whatever India charges, we charge them,” Trump says. Read more about Trump’s tariff announcement today hereModi is also delving into trade, saying he wants to develop a new agreement.He names several industries of importance, including energy, nuclear infrastructure, AI, semi-conductors and pharmaceuticals.He says that talks will be held on the subject of rare earth minerals, and how to strengthen the partnership between the US and Indian space agencies.He also announces plans to open new consulates in Los Angeles and Boston.He then invites Trump to visit India.Modi is speaking now. He’s praising the work the pair did together during Trump’s first term and says they have new goals they want to achieve.He stresses that developing and growing India will Make India Great Again, a play on Trump’s slogan. Modi tells the room that if India and America work together and the slogans are combined it will be a “mega partnership”.Trump adds that he and Modi spoke about the topic of “radical Islamic terrorism” and that he recently decided to allow the US to extradite one of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack plotters for trial.He calls the move a “good will gesture”.Trump then says that he welcomes a recent decision by India to reduce tariffs, but added an aside: “It’s a big problem, I must say”.He goes on to say that the US has a $100bn trade deficit with India, and says that he and Modi will begin talks to strengthen trade and make it more “fair” for Americans.Trump and Modi have come to the microphones at the White House and Trump is now speaking to a crowded room of officials and reporters. The president’s begins by announcing a framework to tighten US-India relations. He says the US plans to increase military sales to India by millions of dollars.We’re waiting on a news conference to start between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi. The event will follow their meeting in the Oval Office, where the leaders discussed relations between the US and India, along with trade. It’s set to start momentarily. You can watch along by clicking “Watch Live” at the top of this page. More photos are coming in of the meeting between President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House. We’ve spotted several key members of Trump’s administration in the room: billionaire Elon Musk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Trump’s nominee for Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick. Before ending a news conference with Modi, Trump was asked about the Justice Department’s order to New York prosecutors to drop a corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. He was asked whether he was involved in the move. “No, I did not,” Trump said, adding that he knew “nothing about it”.A career prosecutor announced she quit over the move on Thursday. Trump said she was fired, rather than resigned. CBS, the BBC’s news partner, obtained her resignation letter stating her decision related to the order to drop the charges against the mayor. Trump has been forming a somewhat surprising friendship with the New York City Democrat in recent days. On Thursday, Adams office announced the immigration agents would once again be allowed to maintain a presence at Rikers Island, an island that contains New York City’s largest jail. Both Modi and Trump have concluded their comments from the Oval Office for now but are continuing their meeting.Read more about Adam’s case here.A reporter asks Trump whether USAID had any role in the elections in the US and India. “There were a lot of bad things that happened in 2020,” Trump says about the election he lost to Joe Biden, but then he adds that the 2024 election results was “too big to rig”.He goes on to say “it could have had a role”, and “I think they probably tried.”He produced no evidence of any fraud being committed by the US aid agency, which Trump is seeking to dismantle.Trump again praises Modi, saying: “He’s doing a really fantastic job. Everyone talks about it. He really is. A great leader.”Modi responds: “I thank you for your warm words, Mr President, and I firmly believe that everyone in India respects your sentiments.”The two then take questions, with Trump saying that the two countries will remain unified.Ask how the two countries will “beat China”, Trump says “we’ll beat anyone we want, but we’re not looking to beat anyone”.Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
