Vice President Vance on Tuesday welcomed progress in trade talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed optimism about his deal with India, seeking to prevent him from suffering heavy tariffs from President Trump.
“As many know, our government is working hard on trade agreements based on shared priorities, such as creating new jobs, building durable supply chains and achieving prosperity for workers,” Vance said at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.
He said, “At our meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Modi and I have made very good progress at all these points. We are particularly excited to announce that America and India have officially finalized the terms of trade negotiation mandate, which I think is an important step.”
According to a reporter traveling with Vance in India, the Vice President’s comments received applause from a crowd made up of business leaders and students.
“I think this is an important step in realizing the vision of President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, because it sets a roadmap for the final deal between our nations.
The Vice President also warned about “dark times” first if the US and India do not cooperate economically.
“I think if India and the US work together well, we’re going to see a 21st century thriving and peaceful,” Vance continued. “But I believe that if we don’t work together well, the 21st century could be a very dark time for all humanity.”
The Vice President met with Modi at his residence on Monday, and then they held an expanded meeting with members of the US and Indian delegation, where they had a dinner with the second lady Ushavance and three children and family.
Consultations were held when India was temporarily hit by import taxes with 26% import taxes before Trump suspending mutual tariff programs in most countries for the 90 days and maintaining a baseline tariff of 10%.
The US is India’s largest trading partner, and the country aims to avoid being hit hard by tariffs that could affect agriculture, processed foods, medical device industries and more.
While in India, Vance and his family visited Aksharum Temple and met with temple officials on Monday. They also greeted the staff of the US Embassy before traveling to Jaipur to leave New Delhi.
