Donald Trump calls PM Narendra Modi ‘a tougher, much better negotiator than him’ after tariff talks | Watch
Donald Trump was asked who he thought was better at negotiating a tariff deal at the bilateral meeting with PM Narendra Modi.
US President Donald Trump heaped praise on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “much tougher and much better negotiator than him."
Trump was answering a question after a bilateral meeting with PM Modi when he was asked who he thought was better at negotiating a tariff deal at the meeting.
"He (Prime Minister Modi) is a much tougher negotiator than me, and he is a much better negotiator than me. There is not even a contest," Trump said with a smile.
About their discussion on trade tariffs, Donald Trump said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered to talk about easing tariffs, buying more US oil, gas and combat aircraft, concessions that may deter a trade war.
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The agreements came as the two leaders held bilateral talks at the White House for hours after Trump unveiled a roadmap for reciprocal tariffs on every country that puts duties on US imports.
Although Trump had a warm relationship with Modi in his first term, he again on Thursday said India's tariffs were "very high" and promised to match them, even after his earlier levies on steel and aluminium hit India particularly hard.
"We are being reciprocal with India," Trump said during the press conference. "Whatever India charges, we charge them."
Whether the deals resolve trade issues between the countries is not yet clear.
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Trump on Thursday rolled out his plan to increase US tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports.
The tariff increases would be customized for each country with the partial goal of starting new trade negotiations. But other nations might also feel the need to respond with their own tariff increases on American goods.
He keeps national interest supreme, like me: PM Modi on President Trump
After the talks, PM Modi praised Donald Trump's sense of nationalism adding that he keeps American interest above all.
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"One thing that I deeply appreciate, and I learned from President Trump, is that he keeps the national interest supreme," Modi said earlier as he sat alongside Trump in the Oval Office. "Like him, I also keep the national interest of India at the top of everything else."