‘Look forward to speaking to PM Modi’: Trump says ready to resume trade talks with India

PM Modi had earlier responded warmly to Trump’s last remarks, calling the India-US partnership “forward-looking” and rooted in a “Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.”

US President Donald Trump, in the wee hours of Wednesday, said Washington and New Delhi will resume negotiations to resolve ongoing trade frictions, even as his administration presses ahead with steep tariffs on Indian goods.

Taking to his social media site Truth Social, Trump announced, “I am pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations."

"I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!" he further noted.

Trump's latest comments follow weeks of tariff escalations, including a US move to double levies on Indian exports to 50 percent and impose an additional 25 percent penalty linked to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.

Late Tuesday, he also floated coordinating with the European Union on fresh duties against India and China to pressure Moscow into ceasefire talks over Ukraine.

However, the US President has repeatedly described India-US ties as a “very special relationship", even amid the tariff tensions.

Earlier, on September 5, he had asserted he would “always be friends” with PM Modi, though he voiced dissatisfaction with his participation in the SCO summit alongside Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. “I just don’t like what he is doing at this particular moment,” Trump had said, but added there was “nothing to worry about” in the long term.

New Delhi has, meanwhile, pushed back against Washington’s tariff measures and defended its continued imports of discounted Russian crude, citing the need to keep energy costs manageable for the world’s third-largest oil consumer.

PM Modi had responded warmly to Trump’s latest remarks, calling the India-US partnership “forward-looking” and rooted in a “Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.” Taking to microblogging site X, he had written, “Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties.”