Washington, DC [US], March 29 (HBTV): Highlighting a positive outlook for India-US tariff negotiations, former US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that tariffs between New Delhi and Washington, DC, would ‘work out well,’ expecting a favourable outcome.

Speaking to reporters during the swearing-in ceremony of the US Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, on Friday (local time), Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a ‘very smart man’ and a ‘great friend.’

‘Prime Minister Modi was here just recently, and we've always been very good friends,’ Trump said.

He added, ‘India is one of the highest tariffing nations in the world... They're very smart. He (PM Modi) is a very smart man and a great friend of mine. We had very good talks. I think it's going to work out very well between India and our country. And I want to say you have a great prime minister.’

This week, Trump announced a major policy shift from the Oval Office, declaring a 25 per cent tariff on all imported vehicles entering the United States, a move he described as ‘very exciting’ for domestic manufacturing.

The tariffs, set to take effect on April 2, will impact nearly half of all vehicles sold in the United States, including American brands assembled overseas. The measure aims to incentivise car manufacturers to establish more production facilities within the US.

Previously, Trump had criticised India's trade policies, stating that the country imposes ‘the highest tariffs’ and is a ‘hard place to do business.’

In February, Trump announced that the US would soon implement reciprocal tariffs on countries like India and China, asserting that the US would charge the same tariffs these nations impose on American goods.

‘We will soon impose reciprocal tariffs—they charge us, we charge them. Whatever a company or a country, such as India or China, charges, we want to be fair; hence, reciprocal,’ Trump said.

He added, ‘We have never done that. We were getting ready to do it until Covid hit.’

Trump also criticised India's tariffs on automobile imports, stating, ‘India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent.’

While addressing a joint session of the US Congress, Trump reiterated that the reciprocal tax would take effect on April 2. He claimed that the US had been ‘ripped off for decades by nearly every country on earth’ and vowed not to ‘let that happen any longer.’

He also mentioned tariffs imposed by the European Union, China, Brazil, and Mexico, announcing that the US would impose tariffs on other nations based on their trade practices toward the US.

(ANI)