President Donald Trump urges India to boost defense purchases from the US, threatening tariffs on BRICS nations.
At a Glance
- Trump pushes for increased US military sales to India during call with PM Modi
- Emphasis on fair trade and defense purchases to avoid potential tariffs on BRICS countries
- India considers expanding US arms procurement to close technology gap with China
- Bilateral trade between US and India exceeded $118 billion in 2023/24
- Modi’s visit to White House planned, highlighting strong US-India ties
Trump’s Push for American Arms Sales
In a recent phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment. This push for expanded defense purchases is part of a broader strategy to strengthen US-India ties and address trade imbalances between the two nations.
Trump wants India to have closer ties with us than Russia. For obvious reasons.
The White House readout of the call stated, “The President emphasized the importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship.”
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President Trump’s push for increased arms sales to India comes with a backdrop of potential tariffs against BRICS nations, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Trump has been vocal about his concerns regarding trade practices of these countries, particularly China and India.
“We’re going to put tariffs on outside countries and outside people that really mean harm to us. Well, they mean us harm, but they basically want to make their country good,” Donald Trump said.
This stance reflects Trump’s broader trade strategy, which seeks to leverage America’s economic power to secure more favorable terms with trading partners. The President has previously referred to India as a “very big abuser” in terms of trade practices, highlighting the complex nature of US-India economic relations.
India’s Strategic Considerations
India, as a major arms importer, finds itself at a crossroads in its defense procurement strategy. While traditionally reliant on Russian military hardware, India is increasingly looking to diversify its sources, with the US and France emerging as key alternatives. This shift is driven by the need to close the technology gap with China and bolster domestic arms production capabilities.
India’s defense needs are substantial, with upgrades required across various military domains, including fighter jets, submarines, tanks, helicopters, and assault rifles. Despite some domestic manufacturing capacity, India still lacks critical expertise in technologies such as military jet engines, which could impact its military strength compared to regional rivals like China.
The recent call between Trump and Modi also touched upon broader aspects of US-India relations.
“Both leaders emphasized their commitment to advance the U.S.-India strategic partnership and the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership, with India hosting Quad Leaders for the first time later this year,” the White House readout says.
Trump has a lot of damage done by the Biden administration to undo, but he’s done it before and he can do it again.