Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the United States next month to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and may hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a reports.
The UNGA begins on September 9, with the high-level leaders’ week scheduled from September 23 to 29.
While Modi’s primary agenda is the UN session, a key focus of the visit is expected to be addressing ongoing trade and tariff disputes that have strained U.S.-India relations in recent months.
Tensions escalated following the U.S. decision to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods in response to India’s continued oil imports from Russia. This move brought the total U.S. tariffs on Indian exports to 50%—among the highest levied on any American trade partner.
Trade talks between the two countries have stalled after five rounds of negotiations, largely due to disagreements over market access for U.S. agricultural products and India's energy trade with Russia.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently commented on the status of international trade negotiations, stating that several major deals remain unresolved, including with India. He described New Delhi as "a bit recalcitrant" during discussions, but expressed cautious optimism.
"That's aspirational, but I think we are in a good position," Bessent said. "I think we can be—we will have agreed on substantial terms with all the substantial countries."
