India bets on Modi-Trump warmth to navigate choppy future with US

 

India Trumpbets on Modi-Trump warmth to navTrumpigate choppy future with US

Tariffs and Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric could hurt India. The Modi-Trump friendship could be a saviour

Then-President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a joint event on Sunday, September 22, 2019, in Houston, Texas [Evan Vucci/AP Photo]

New Delhi, India — During his campaign for re-election, Donald Trump repeatedly threatened major tariffs on imports from a range of countries. Beijing bore the brunt of his attention — he threatened a 60 percent tariff on Chinese products. But India was a major target, too — he described the country as a “major charger” of tariffs, and promised to do the same in return.

Now, as Trump prepares to take office again after a stunning win over Vice President Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, his plans for trade barriers and his anti-immigrant rhetoric threaten to inject tensions into bilateral relations with India.

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The US is India’s largest export destination and consistently ranks among its top two trade partners.

“India-US relations could actually get strained if all these election promises that Trump made are implemented,” said Biswajit Dhar, a distinguished professor at the Council for Social Development, New Delhi. “If he goes through with them, this will be very, very bad news for India.”

But there is a ray of hope said Dhar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal “bonhomie” with Trump could help New Delhi navigate an otherwise bumpy road ahead.