U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that India has offered to reduce its tariffs on U.S. goods to zero, even as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was making public shows of solidarity with Chinese and Russian leaders in the face of trade pressure from Washington.
While calling the U.S. relationship with India “one sided,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “They have now offered to cut their Tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago.”
The Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Trump’s comments, which follow the imposition of duties as high as 50% on Indian goods that have raised questions about the future of the U.S.-India relationship.
Trump’s remark came as Modi was in China for a summit of more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a China-backed bloc reinvigorated by Trump’s global tariff push. At the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping promoted his vision for a new global security and economic order that prioritizes the “Global South,” in a direct challenge to Washington.
The U.S.-India relationship has deepened in recent years, including during Trump’s first term, with both countries sharing concerns over China’s growing influence. But Trump threatened tariffs on India after New Delhi continued to purchase Russian oil, defying U.S. efforts to choke Moscow’s revenues amid the war in Ukraine.
In China, an image designed to convey solidarity showed Russian President Vladimir Putin and Modi holding hands as they walked toward Xi. The three leaders stood shoulder to shoulder, smiling and surrounded by aides and interpreters.
Beijing has also used the summit to ease tensions with New Delhi. Modi, on his first visit to China in seven years, and Xi agreed that their countries are “development partners, not rivals,” and discussed ways to expand trade.
The U.S. State Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the meetings in China.
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