As Donald Trump is about to return to the White Home because the forty seventh President of the US, a number of eyes at the moment are locked on the impression it’s going to have on the India-US relationship. To not overlook that Trump has made his stance very clear in relation to Washington, “Make America Nice Once more!” and “America First”.
Nonetheless, Trump has additionally repeatedly expressed nice admiration for his “good good friend” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi congratulates Trump
Amid questions over the way forward for New Delhi and Washington’s ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to congratulate his “good friend” Trump for profitable the US presidential elections.
PM Modi mentioned he appeared ahead to “renewing our collaboration to additional strengthen the India-US Complete World and Strategic Partnership,” including that, “Collectively, let’s work for the betterment of our folks and to advertise world peace, stability and prosperity.”
Notably, Trump reached out to Hindu voters on Diwali final week and expressed his dedication to strengthening America’s relationship with India. In an extended put up on microblogging web site X, Trump expressed his admiration for India and PM Modi.
“We will even shield Hindu People in opposition to the anti-religion agenda of the novel left. We are going to struggle in your freedom. Underneath my administration, we will even strengthen our nice partnership with India and my good good friend, Prime Minister Modi,” Trump mentioned.
Notably, Trump and PM Modi’s camaraderie has been on full show many instances prior to now throughout grand occasions like “Howdy, Modi!” in Texas in 2019 and “Namaste Trump” occasion in Ahmedabad in 2020.
Jaishankar on US elections
Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, at present touring Australia, reacted to the US presidential elections and the shut contest between Trump and Harris, saying that India and US’ bilateral relations have seen regular progress over the past 5 presidencies.
“So, after we have a look at the American election, we’re very assured that regardless of the verdict, our relationship with the US will solely develop,” he mentioned whereas addressing a press convention.
Jaishankar additionally took observe of the revival of QUAD beneath the Trump presidency in 2017. It is attention-grabbing, amid COVID when bodily conferences had stopped, one of many uncommon bodily conferences of International Ministers was truly of the QUAD in Tokyo in 2020. So I feel that ought to inform us one thing,” he mentioned.
Commerce and financial ties
Contemplating Trump’s stance on commerce insurance policies, it’s extremely possible that an administration led by him would prioritise US-centric insurance policies, probably pressuring India to cut back tariffs and tweak export insurance policies.
Final month, Trump had claimed that New Delhi imposes a few of the highest tariff on international merchandise and vowed to introduce a reciprocal tax if he wins the race to the White Home.
“Maybe a very powerful aspect of my plan to make America terribly rich once more is reciprocity,” Trump mentioned whereas talking to the members of the Detroit Financial Membership. He accused India of being the “greatest charger” of tariffs, citing examples of import taxes on Harley Davidson bikes — one thing that he raised throughout his first time period within the Oval Workplace as properly.
Nonetheless, he additionally toned again right down to bathe praises on PM Modi. “India is a really large charger. We have now an ideal relationship with India. I did. And particularly the chief, Modi. He is an ideal chief. Nice man. Actually is a good man. He is introduced it to collectively. He is carried out an ideal job,” he mentioned.
“I imply, I feel they most likely cost greater than, in some ways, China. However they do it with a smile. They do it… Type of a nicer cost. They mentioned thanks a lot for buying from India,” the previous US President promptly added.
Bloomberg Economics had predicted that Donald Trump’s proposed tariff hikes might barely impression India’s financial system, estimating a 0.1% lower in GDP by 2028 if Trump follows by means of with a 60% tariff on Chinese language merchandise and 20% on others.
The report urged that this decline can be the resultant of a common downswing in world commerce and India’s relative lack of competitiveness.
Nonetheless, economists have urged that New Delhi might hit again on the results of Trump’s commerce limitations by growing manufacturing subsidies and decreasing common import tariffs.
H-1B visa
A key concern for the Indian workforce within the US — or these trying to transfer to the US — is the H1-B visa. As voting for the presidential elections within the US is underway, the place numbers are leaning in the direction of Trump’s return to the White Home, individuals are questioning what would occur to the annual allotment of 85,000 H1-B vias if he involves energy.
The H1-B is a non-immigrant visa which permits US-based firms to rent and make use of international staff for speciality jobs like science, expertise, engineering, arithmetic (STEM), and IT. This visa permits IT firms to ship their workers to the US.
Prior to now, Trump has expressed his reservations in the direction of the H-1B visa, describing them as “very unhealthy” and “unfair” to the US staff. With this and the chances of his return to the Oval Workplace, there are probabilities that he might overhaul the H-1B visas.
Throughout his presidency in 2020, the US labour division proposed a brand new rule to lift the minimal wage of a H-1B visa holder to that of the usual US employee. Nonetheless, this was blocked later. Prospects of restrictive order on authorized immigration pathways have been additionally reported by the US media.
Defence cooperation and safety
It’s possible that Donald’s Trump stances on China and counter-terrorism may align with India’s considerations, presenting a potential pathway for deepened defence cooperation between Washington and New Delhi.
Underneath Trump’s presidency, QUAD — an alliance between the US, India, Japan, and Australia to counter China’s affect on the Indo-Pacific area — was additionally elevated.
Notably, navy workouts and cooperation between India and the US would proceed to happen, given the 2 nations’ stance on countering Chinese language affect.
Throughout his latest Diwali put up and pitch to Hindu voters, Trump has condemned the “assaults on minorities” in Bangladesh, the place Hindu and Christian minorities reportedly confronted mob assaults and violence amid unrest within the nation.
“It could have by no means occurred on my watch. Kamala and Joe have ignored Hindus internationally and in America,” Trump mentioned. He additionally reiterated his intentions, “I lower taxes, lower rules, unleashed American vitality, and constructed the best financial system in historical past. We are going to do it once more, greater and higher than ever earlier than—and we’ll Make America Nice Once more.”
