Saving big trade deal with India for later: Donald Trump ahead of his mega event at Ahmedabad
Washington/New Delhi/IBNS: With just few days left for the mega "Namaste Trump" event at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, US President Donald Trump has hinted that Washington will have no trade deal with India during his two-day visit to the Asian country beginning on Feb 24.
In a press interaction, Trump cleared air over the trade deal with India saying, "Well we can have a trade deal with India but I am really saving the big deal for later on. We are doing a very big trade deal with India. We'll have it. I don't know whether it'll be done before the election but we''ll have a very big deal with India.
We are not very well treated in India but I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot...." (sic)
Though New Delhi was eager to strike a trade deal, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross had earlier cancelled his India visit over weather issues and some other reasons.
Ross was expected to hold a trade dialogue with India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
To strike a deal, India has already shown eagerness to allow importation of US chicken legs, turkey and production of blueberries and cherries.
Less than a week before he heads to India, @realDonaldTrump says he is “really saving” the big trade deal “for later on” & doesn’t know “if it’ll be done before the election, but we’ll have a very big deal with India.” @narendramodi @DrSJaishankar pic.twitter.com/rkmjFxyOwK
— Prince Parmanand Gurjar🇮🇳 (@princeparmanand) February 19, 2020
While the Indian government has decided to slash tax on chicken legs from 100 per cent to 25 per cent, Washington prefers the tax to be just 10 per cent.
Besides, the Modi government is expected to allow the US to enter into India's dairy market and also lower 50 per cent tariffs on very large motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson.
But India's enthusiasm is not falling short to welcome Trump who will be on his maiden visit to the country after becoming the US President back in 2016.
The "Namaste Trump" event, which will be held at Ahmedabad's Sardar Patel Stadium, will be more like "Howdy Modi" that was hosted in the US to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
After getting received at the Ahmedabad airport by none other than Modi, whom the US President often praises, Trump will reach the stadium holding a roadshow which is expected to be attended by thousands of people.
Of course, Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump will be accompanied by Modi.
Though he is not sure of a trade deal with India at the moment, Trump's excitement over the attendance of millions of people in Ahmedabad can't be missed.
Heaping praises on the Indian Prime Minister and expressing his excitement, the US President said on Tuesday, "... he (Modi) told me "We''ll have seven million people between the airport and the event'."
He added, "The stadium in my understanding has got semi-under construction but it is going to be the largest stadium in the world. So it will be very exciting..."
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