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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he “will have a trade deal with India soon” and that he has “great respect for Prime Minister Modi,” as both nations move closer to sealing the framework for a new trade agreement.Speaking at the APEC CEOs Luncheon in Gyeongju, South Korea, Trump praised Modi, calling him “the nicest looking guy” and “tough as hell.” He reiterated his intention to strengthen economic ties with India, saying, “I am going to do a trade deal with India,” while lauding Modi’s leadership and India’s growing global clout.Trump’s remarks came during a broader speech on trade and foreign policy, where he touted his administration’s record, saying, “We stopped a lot of wars, made our country strong,” and noted, “Around the world, we are signing one trade deal after another.”He also said calimed that he threatened India and Pakistan with 250% tariffs to help spur the resolution of their conflict.Earlier, people familiar with the discussions told The Economic Times that negotiations are in the final stages, with talks focused on reducing US tariffs on Indian exports, possibly cutting them to 15% from the current 50%. “The contours of the deal are still being finalised,” one person aware of the talks said.Live EventsThe proposed pact, if concluded, could revive trade relations between Washington and New Delhi, which had cooled after Trump’s earlier decision to impose steep tariffs on Indian goods -- 20% of which were penalty duties aimed at what he claimed was India’s funding of the war in Ukraine.Trump also recounted his interactions with Modi during heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. “But he’s a killer -- tough as hell. He said, ‘No, we will fight.’ I said, ‘Whoa, this is the same man I know?’” Trump said.Recalling that episode, he added, “If you look at India and Pakistan, I was doing a trade deal with India, and I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi. They were really going at it.”According to Trump, he told both Modi and Pakistan’s leadership that the US would not engage in trade with either side during hostilities. “I told Prime Minister Modi, ‘We can’t make a deal with you right now because you’re fighting with Pakistan.’ Then I called the Pakistani Prime Minister and told him we can’t make a deal with you because you are fighting India,” Trump said.He claimed that his warning to impose “250% tariffs” led both sides to agree to end hostilities within 48 hours, asserting that “seven planes had been shot down” and his intervention “saved millions and millions of lives.”Trump has repeated this version of events several times since May, when he claimed on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after what he described as a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington.India, however, has consistently denied any US involvement. Officials maintain that the ceasefire decision came at the request of Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to his Indian counterpart, and that the understanding was finalised on May 10, following cross-border exchanges triggered by India’s Operation Sindoor, a response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.Trump’s comments came as part of his ongoing Asia tour, ahead of his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the APEC summit in Gyeongju.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News ontrump india trade dealus india tradedonald trump modi friendshipus tariffs on indian exportsindia us trade agreementnew delhi washington trade tiestrump tariffs 50 percentindia export tariffs reductiontrump ukraine penalty tariffsindia us economic engagement (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News ontrump india trade dealus india tradedonald trump modi friendshipus tariffs on indian exportsindia us trade agreementnew delhi washington trade tiestrump tariffs 50 percentindia export tariffs reductiontrump ukraine penalty tariffsindia us economic engagement(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Prime ExclusivesInvestment IdeasStock Report PlusePaperWealth Edition123View all Stories
