Trump optimistic about US-India trade talks, calls Modi 'smart man'

US President Donald Trump has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “very smart man” and a “great friend of mine” while emphasising that tariff talks would “work out very well between India and our country”.

The remarks assume significance since Trump has repeatedly criticised the high tariffs charged by India and other countries on American goods.

“Prime Minister Modi was here just recently and we have always been very good friends,” the US president said in the White House Friday.

“India is one of the highest tariffing nations in the world.… it's brutal, it's brutal. They're very smart. He (Modi) is a very smart man and a great friend of mine. We had very good talks. I think it's going to work out very well between India and our country, Trump said.

“And I want to say you have a great prime minister,” he said.

PM Modi had visited Washington DC in February and held bilateral discussions with Trump. The visit came less than a month after Trump was sworn in as US President for a second term.

Trump had earlier said that India was a very high-tariff nation and reiterated that reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose levies on American goods would kick in on April 2.