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Trump calls India’s tariff hike unacceptable, says will ask Modi to withdraw it

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Donald Trump

After the positive vibes from the cordial talks between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, the President of the United States – POTUS, as they call it – Donald Trump threw a spanner in the works ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Japan.

Trump today (Thursday, June 27) demanded that India withdraw its increased trade tariffs, calling them “unacceptable.”

Trump said in a tweet: “I look forward to speaking with Prime Minister Modi about the fact that India, for years having put very high Tariffs against the United States, just recently increased the Tariffs even further. This is unacceptable and the Tariffs must be withdrawn!”

Trump has often commented on India’s tariff barriers, referring to India as “tariff king” and threatening to impose retaliatory tariffs on Indian products as well.

Immediately after PM Modi was sworn in for second term, Trump informed the US Congress of his decision to terminate India’s designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the key GSP trade programme after determining that it has not assured the US that it will provide “equitable and reasonable access to its markets.”

Accordingly, Washington withdrew the long-standing trade privileges for New Delhi under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) on June 1. Trump said the preferential status had allowed India to sell goods worth $5.6 billion duty-free.

The Generalised System of Preference (GSP) is the largest and oldest US trade preference programme and is designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated beneficiary countries.

India has been a beneficiary of the US’ GSP programme since November 1975. As exports under GSP accounted for over 11 per cent of India’s total goods exports of .4 billion to the US in 2018, the withdrawal could affect India’s competitiveness in exports of 1,900 items, including organic chemical raw materials, iron, steel, furniture, aluminium and electrical machinery, as duties will now be levied on these products.

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India, after extending the deadline for several times, slapped additional customs duties on 29 US products, including almond, walnut and pulses, with effect from June 16.

Quoting government sources, news agency Reuters reported that India rejected Trump’s argument, saying the tariffs were not that high compared to other developing countries.

Trump’s grouse has been that US is purchasing more from other nations than it sells, which has stunted manufacturing in the country.

Over the last several months, Washington imposed tariff and withdrew concessions on millions of dollars’ worth of goods from across the world and has been embroiled in a trade war, particularly with China. But other nations imposing retaliatory tariffs on the US is robbing Washington of the foreign markets it needs to sell its goods.

Yesterday, after his daylong talks with Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while defending his government’s decision, emphasised that the US needs greater access to the Indian market.

Also Read: US Secy of State Mike Pompeo meets PM Modi, External Affairs Ministers S Jaishankar

A state department fact sheet yesterday said, “There is enormous potential to grow our trade relationship and create the high-quality jobs that Prime Minister Modi wants if India lowers trade barriers and embraces fair and reciprocal trade”. It also emphasised that the Trump Administration was working to ensure that “American companies operating in India have the same level playing field that Indian companies enjoy in the United States.”

After yesterday’s meeting, Jaishankar said he has “pushed for a constructive and pragmatic view”, and the “real test of our intentions will be our ability to deal with this”.

He quoted Pompeo as saying that there has been a lot of “noise”, and the two sides need to go to the basics. “My confidence is reaffirmed about our ability to address (the issues). I am reassured about the solidity of the relationship,” he said.

The US Secretary of State also said the two sides need to work on these issues with “as little theatre as possible”. “We have to get the economic piece right. Great friends are bound to have disagreements,” Pompeo said, downplaying concerns.

PM Modi’s meeting with President Trump is expected to take the discussion forward.

Trump and Modi are scheduled to hold a bilateral summit tomorrow, Friday in Osaka, Japan.

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

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Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

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