U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed reducing the U.S. trade deficit with India and increasing their cooperation in Afghanistan in a telephone call on Monday, the White House said.
The White House said in a statement “The leaders agreed to strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership in 2019 and exchanged perspectives on how to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with India, expand security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, and increase cooperation in Afghanistan,”
The United States has slapped tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium from India, part of Trump’s drive to reduce the U.S. trade deficit and boost American manufacturing jobs.
India has threatened to retaliate but said it would not take action until the end of this month.
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