India's high tariff 'unacceptable', says Trump ahead of G20

Washington: India's high tariffs on US goods is "unacceptable" and must be withdrawn, President Donald Trump said Thursday ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.

President Trump early this morning tweeted, "I look forward to speaking with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi about the fact that India, for years having put very high Tariffs against the United States, just recently increased the Tariffs even further. This is unacceptable and the Tariffs must be withdrawn!"

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Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. This would be his first meeting with Modi after the BJP's stunning victory in the general elections.

It comes after the India visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during which he met Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The Trump-Modi meeting assumes significance in the wake of the strain that has popped up in the bilateral relationship on a host of trade and economic issues.

India has raised tariffs on 28 items exported from the US in retaliation to America's withdrawal of preferential access for Indian products.

The Trump administration wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lower the trade barriers and embrace "fair and reciprocal" trade.

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(PTI)