Trade, religious freedom likely to be raised by Trump

United States President Donald Trump will bring up rising trade barriers and tariffs during his India visit, which begins tomorrow. Whether or not a deal will be announced will depend entirely on India according to officials in the Trump administration.

Concerns have been raised by US officials over Make in India, which is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet programmes. “Whether or not there will be an announcement on a trade package is, really, wholly dependent upon what the Indians are prepared to do,” said an officials in the US team.

President Trump is also likely yo call for equal treatment of religious minorities and urge India and Pakistan to resolve their differences bilaterally. “President Trump will talk about our shared tradition of democracy and liberty of freedom in both his public remarks and in private. He will particularly raise the religious freedom issue that’s very important for this administration,” said the official.

Prospects of a trade deal being announced during the president’s two-day visit have lowered considerably. The US has sought more access to Indian markets in dairy and poultry, and removal of medical devices from price control regulation.