'He's tougher, better': Trump praises PM Modi's negotiation skills
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's negotiation skills, calling him a "tougher" and "better" negotiator.
Addressing a joint press conference in Washington, DC, after bilateral talks at the White House, Trump said of Modi, "He is a much tougher negotiator than me, and he is a much better negotiator than me."
"There's not even a contest," Trump said.
Tariff talks
Trump announces reciprocal tariffs ahead of Modi meeting
Hours before his meeting with Modi, Trump announced new reciprocal tariffs to ensure US import duties match those imposed by trading partners on American goods.
He said the US would levy the same charges as countries impose on it "without exceptions."
"There are a couple of smaller countries that are actually more but India charges tremendous tariffs. I remember when Harley-Davidson couldn't sell their motorbikes in India because...the tax was so high," Trump said.
Trade concessions
Modi proposes tariff reductions, increased US purchases
During the talks, PM Modi proposed discussing easing tariffs and increasing India's purchases of US oil, gas, and combat aircraft.
The bilateral talks also covered key issues such as trade, defense, and immigration.
The talks between Trump and PM Modi yielded progress on extraditing 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India and moving forward with the F-35 jet deal, among others.
Diplomatic discussions
Modi's US visit includes meetings with key figures
They also set a target to increase bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 under "Mission 500," with plans to finalize a bilateral trade agreement by autumn 2025.
The leaders also spoke about geopolitical concerns like free trade, immigration policies, and challenges of global terrorism
PM Modi started his two-day US visit by meeting several key figures, including US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.