October 29, 2025 : US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that Washington is working on a new trade deal with India. His remarks come amid ongoing trade discussions between the two countries against the backdrop of steep American tariffs on Indian goods.
Speaking during an address in South Korea ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Trump said, “I’m doing a trade deal with India, and I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi. We have a great relationship.”
In August, Trump’s administration had imposed duties of up to 50% on Indian imports as additional penalties over India’s ongoing oil trade with Russia.
India has maintained that its energy purchases are driven by market forces and national security requirements rather than geopolitical alignment, consistently defending its right to secure affordable energy for its population.
Trump’s praise for PM Modi
Trump’s positive tone marks a shift from his earlier warnings linking trade concessions to India’s oil imports. “I have great respect and love for Prime Minister Modi,” he said in Seoul. “We have a great relationship.”
He also recalled a dramatic exchange with both Indian and Pakistani leaders, claiming that his intervention prevented a potential war.
“These are two nuclear nations… and they were really going at it,” Trump said. “I called Prime Minister Modi and said, ‘we can’t make a trade deal with you… you’re starting a war with Pakistan.’ Then I called Pakistan and said the same thing. They both said, ‘no, you should let us fight.’ But after two days, they called back and said, ‘we understand,’ and they stopped fighting.”
Trump then added with a grin, “Prime Minister Modi is the nicest-looking guy. He’s tough as hell. But after two days, they stopped. Isn’t that amazing?”
Summary:
Former U.S. President Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “killer” leader while sharing that discussions on a potential trade deal between the U.S. and India are progressing positively.