Trump Criticizes India’s Trade Tariffs, Calls PM Modi ‘Fantastic’ Before U.S. Visit

Former U.S. President Donald Trump took a jab at India on Tuesday, labeling the nation as an "abuser" in terms of import tariffs, yet also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "fantastic man."

Speaking publicly for the first time since a recent assassination attempt, Trump, the Republican frontrunner, revealed that he is set to meet with PM Modi during the Indian leader's upcoming three-day visit to the U.S. next week.

PM Modi will be in the U.S. from September 21 to 23 for the annual Quad Summit, which will be hosted by President Joe Biden in Delaware.

Trump highlighted India’s steep tariffs on imports, stating, “So when India, which is a very big abuser. He (Modi) happens to be coming to meet me next week, and Modi, he's fantastic. I mean, fantastic man. A lot of these leaders are fantastic," news agency PTI reported. Trump made these remarks during a town hall event in Flint, Michigan, while responding to a question on trade and tariffs.

“These countries have some of the sharpest minds. They're not behind the curve at all. You know the saying, they're at the top of their game — and they use that to their advantage against us. India is tough, Brazil is tough... but China is the toughest. However, we were handling China with tariffs,” Trump added.

He further proposed a reciprocal trade strategy, saying, “We’re going to implement reciprocal trade policies. If a country charges us 10 cents, USD 2, or even 250 per cent, we’ll charge them the exact same amount. What will happen? Either everything will balance out, leading to free trade again, or we’ll bring in a lot of revenue."

During his U.S. trip, PM Modi will also speak at the 'Summit of the Future' during the United Nations General Assembly and meet with the Indian diaspora in New York on September 22, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Modi and Trump last met in February 2020, when Trump visited India, a visit PM Modi hailed as a pivotal moment in strengthening ties between the two nations.