Thu Feb 13 01:31:20 UTC 2025: ## Trump to Sign Reciprocal Tariff Order Before Modi Meeting

**Washington D.C., February 13, 2025** – U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order implementing reciprocal tariffs before his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The White House confirmed the impending order, which will impose tariffs on goods from countries with import duties on U.S. products. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the President strongly believes in this measure, citing unfair trade practices by other nations.

The move follows past criticism from President Trump regarding India’s tariff rates, which were also discussed during a recent U.S. Senate confirmation hearing for his chief trade negotiator. In anticipation of the bilateral talks, India has reportedly considered lowering tariffs on certain U.S. goods, and already reduced import duties on several U.S. products in the February 1st Union Budget.

The new executive order, signed on Monday, aims to eliminate exemptions and loopholes in previously imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, including those impacting India. While one Indian industry representative downplayed the impact, citing low levels of Indian steel exports to the U.S., the order’s effect on existing exemptions and exclusions for Indian steel and aluminum remains uncertain. The upcoming meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will likely address these concerns. The situation is further complicated by past retaliatory tariffs imposed by India in response to similar actions by the U.S. administration in 2018, which were later rescinded in 2023 under a trade agreement with the Biden administration.

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