'Very Big Trade Deal' With India In Progress Ahead Of Visit, Trump Says

Neer Varshney
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President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, told reporters that he is doing a "very big trade deal" with India, but it might not be announced immediately.

What Happened

"We're doing a very big trade deal with India. We'll have it. I don't know if it'll be done before the election, but we'll have a very big deal with India," the President told the reporters outside Air Force One.

Trump is set to visit the country starting February 24 on a three-day visit and will land in the home state of the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

"We're not treated very well by India, but I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot. And he told me we'll have 7 million people between the airport and the event," Trump said.

The two famously shared stage at the "Howdy Modi" event in Houston, Texas last year, which was attended by more than 50,000 people, making it the largest gathering with a foreign political leader in the United States, according to the Washington Post.

Why It Matters

The trade relations between the two countries have remained strained even as the two leaders have suggested a warm personal relationship. Trump has often criticized the high duties imposed by the Indian government on American imports and referred to the country as "tariff king."

India is the second-largest trading partner for the U.S. after China, and the economic relations between the two countries have come increased focus as a trade war raged between the U.S. and China.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer canceled his India visit last week, Indian daily The Hindu reported, casting doubts over whether President Trump's visit later in the month would result in a substantial trade deal.

Photo Credit: Public domain image via Wikimedia.

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