PM Modi with US President Donald Trump

New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump on Thursday once again praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the two countries look to materialize a month-long trade deal.“I like your Prime Minister very much. He is a good friend of mine, and we get along well.” Trump said, we have a good relationship.Expressing optimism about the impending trade deal with New Delhi, Trump said the United States is “making a lot of money with India”.He said, “For years, India took advantage of the United States. They charged us huge fees and did not pay anything. Now it is quite the opposite and we are making a lot of money with India. But we will reach an agreement.”Trump’s latest comments come a day after his administration proposed 12.5% ​​additional tariffs on imports from 60 economies, including India.Momentum toward a deal has strengthened in recent weeks. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore said that talks are nearing completion, with only a limited number of issues still unresolved. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has similarly indicated that while most of the matters have been resolved, discussions now focus on finalizing the remaining details before the unveiling of the first phase of the agreement.A separate USTR proposal could further complicate negotiations. The review, conducted under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, covers 60 economies and focuses on concerns over imports allegedly involving forced labour.Earlier, India and the United States concluded four-day trade talks in New Delhi between June 1 and June 4, in which officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by the Chief Negotiator, discussed with Indian counterparts issues such as trade in goods, customs procedures, trade facilitation, non-tariff barriers and economic security cooperation.Both sides described the talks as constructive and said efforts are underway to conclude a mutually beneficial interim trade agreement, while negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement (BTA) continue in parallel.