Senior Trump administration officials confirmed that President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will engage in discussions on Thursday covering defense, energy, infrastructure, trade, and regional partnerships.
Modi is scheduled to visit Trump at the White House in the afternoon, becoming the third foreign leader to meet with the president since his return to office. His visit follows recent meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru.
One senior official emphasized the administration’s commitment to expanding defense sales to India and strengthening its role as a key importer of American energy. “The president will prioritize India as a critical partner in increasing American energy exports,” the official stated. On trade, Trump and Modi are expected to explore measures to enhance the U.S.-India trade relationship and address the bilateral trade deficit.
Hours before the meeting, Trump signed a memorandum announcing reciprocal tariffs against countries that impose tariffs on the United States.
“And on trade, I have decided, for purposes of fairness, that I will charge a reciprocal tariff, meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them. No more, no less,” Trump declared. “In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff, and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff.”
Trump administration officials also indicated that discussions would include strengthening the Quad partnership between the United States, India, Japan, and Australia to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
A senior official highlighted the geopolitical and economic significance of U.S.-India relations within America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, stating, “This is, some might argue, one of the most critical, if not the most critical bilateral relationship, of the 21st century. President Trump is going to do his part to ensure that remains a foundational element moving forward in this term.”
