Trump praises Modi, expresses optimism over India-US tariff negotiations
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump said he was optimistic about the ongoing tariff talks between India and the US.
He praised Indian PM Narendra Modi as a "very smart man" and a "great friend."
The comments came at an event where he swore in Alina Habba as US attorney for New Jersey.
He also praised PM Modi's leadership, calling him a "great prime minister."
Tariff acknowledgment
Trump acknowledges India's high tariffs
In his remarks, Trump also recognized India as one of the highest-tariffing nations in the world.
He said, "India is one of the highest tariffing nations in the world... They're very smart."
This comes after PM Modi's visit to the US in February, when both leaders agreed to negotiate a multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by fall 2025, to strengthen economic ties between their countries.
Tariff announcement
Trump announces new tariffs on imported vehicles
In a major policy decision, Trump announced a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles coming into the US. He called the decision "very exciting" for domestic manufacturing.
The new tariff, which comes into effect from April 2, is set to affect almost half of all vehicles sold in the US, including American brands manufactured overseas.
The move is aimed at pushing car manufacturers to expand production in the US.
Criticism
Trump previously criticized India's high tariffs
Prior to his recent comments, Trump had criticized India for its high tariffs, stating that "they have the highest tariffs" and that it is "a hard place to do business."
In February, he announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries like India and China.
He argued that the US should charge the same tariffs that those nations impose on American goods.