By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump is set to host Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House on Tuesday, marking the first in-person meeting between two leaders whose relationship has been marked by sharp disputes over the past year.
The move follows months of pressure from Trump on India to reduce its reliance on discounted Russian crude. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has taken advantage of lower oil prices as much of the world moved to isolate Moscow.
Trump said India also agreed to reduce its import taxes on U.S. goods to zero and to purchase $500 billion worth of American products.
“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing the tariff reduction.
Modi welcomed the move in a post on X, calling the tariff cut a positive step and praising Trump’s leadership.
“I am delighted,” Modi wrote, adding that Trump’s “leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.” He said he looks forward to working closely with Trump to deepen the U.S.-India partnership.
Trump and Modi have long shared a warm relationship, though it has been strained in recent years by trade disputes and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump has struggled to deliver on a campaign pledge to quickly end the conflict and has been reluctant to directly pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin, instead focusing on economic tools such as tariffs.
Trump has repeatedly said that targeting Russia’s oil revenue is the most effective way to push Moscow toward ending the war — a strategy that aligns with his broader use of tariffs to pursue foreign policy goals.
In June, Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, arguing that New Delhi had not done enough to reduce its trade surplus with the U.S. or open its markets to American products. In August, he imposed an additional 25% tariff over India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, pushing the combined rate to 50%.
With India’s commitment to halt Russian oil imports and the new tariff reduction, the effective rate on Indian goods could drop to 18%, roughly in line with the 15% tariffs applied to imports from the European Union and Japan.
Traditionally, India’s relationship with Russia has been driven more by defense than energy. Russia supplies a majority of India’s military equipment but only a small share of its oil. After the invasion of Ukraine, however, India seized the opportunity to buy heavily discounted Russian crude, boosting its energy supplies while providing Moscow with much-needed revenue.
The tariff announcement comes just days after India and the European Union finalized a long-awaited free trade agreement that could affect nearly 2 billion people. The deal, concluded after almost two decades of negotiations, would eliminate tariffs on most goods traded between India and the EU’s 27 member states, covering products ranging from textiles to pharmaceuticals and lowering steep import taxes on European wine and cars.
That agreement also reflects a broader effort by major economies to reduce dependence on the United States after Trump’s tariff hikes disrupted global trade flows. While the costs of the tariffs have largely been borne by American businesses and consumers, they have also dampened trade volumes.
India has recently accelerated efforts to strike trade deals, signing an agreement with Oman in December and concluding negotiations with New Zealand.
Trump hinted Monday morning that relations with Modi were improving, posting a photo of the two leaders together on a magazine cover.
When the two met last February, Trump said India would begin purchasing American oil and natural gas. Those talks, however, proved difficult, and last year’s tariffs initially did little to change India’s position.
U.S. officials have pushed for broader market access and near-zero tariffs on American exports, while Indian officials have resisted opening sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy, which employ large portions of the country’s population.
According to the Census Bureau, the United States ran a $53.5 billion goods trade deficit with India during the first 11 months of last year, importing significantly more than it exported.
With a population of more than 1.4 billion, India is the world’s most populous country and is widely viewed by policymakers and business leaders as a key geopolitical and economic counterweight to China.
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