Discover Top American-Made Products!
Support local craftsmanship with these high-quality, American-made items—shop now on Amazon!
Shop NowNarendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, arrived at the White House with symbolic gifts in hand. He had a nice visit with President Donald Trump but didn’t make any headway avoiding “reciprocal” tariffs. As long as he’s going to lay them on us, we’ll match them. Maybe even raise a few points. Nothing hostile, only business. It’s time to put America first in our diplomatic negotiations.
India opens trade route
Trade negotiations between the U.S. and India got off to a good start. On Thursday, February 13, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Donald Trump.
One America News points out that “Modi arrived with gifts — in the hopes that any trade issues could be avoided.” It was a nice gesture but didn’t get that job done.
Modi scored a few points in favor of India by “discussing a new trade route, U.S. nuclear technology, artificial intelligence policies, and more.” The only way he’s going to avoid reciprocal tariffs is by removing the ones he’s hitting us with.
Trump will be happy to match zero with zero. Modi is “the fourth world leader to meet with the GOP president since his second term began.”
Before dropping by for a talk in the Oval Office, Modi dropped into a French conference on artificial intelligence. While he was in the District, Modi also made time for a separate meeting with Elon Musk.
He’s hoping to get India hooked up on Starlink. Musk gifted him with a hexagon shaped heat shield tile from the Starship’s test flight as a souvenir.
A round of meetings
Modi was busy lobbying for India while he was in town. “In addition to meeting with Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk at the 1824 Blair house, he met with Vice President J.D. Vance before Vance left for his trip to Munich, Germany.”
Musk and Modi, the press is reporting, “are both cordial with one another, having first met in 2023.”
Trump had his formal sit-down discussion with Modi at the White House. Even though we remain on good terms with India, there’s a whole lot to talk about regarding fair trade.
Mere hours after the meeting, Trump announced “a plan for reciprocal tariffs on any nations that impose levies on American products.” They already announced getting rid of one they had unfavorable to Harley-Davidson. That’s only a gesture.
India “could still be in danger even after taking action to try and allay Trump’s worries.” Trump calls them one of the “very big tariff abusers.”
India’s “average tariff rate is 17%, which is much higher than the U.S. rate of roughly 3.3% — according to data from the World Trade Organization.” India isn’t going to get away with that for long.
