‘A masterclass for other world leaders’: How CNN described Modi’s negotiations with Trump

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s negotiations with US President Donald Trump were a ‘masterclass’ for other leaders around the world, according to CNN journalist Will Ripley.

“I think we have now seen, first with Japanese prime minister Ishiba’s very positive meeting with Trump, and now what apparently is a very positive meeting with Trump and prime minister Narendra Modi…this is a masterclass for other leaders around the world to know how to walk into a negotiation with President Trump,” Ripley said during a CNN broadcast.

Ripley added, “Whether prime minister Modi knew or was expecting that President Trump would make this reciprocal tariff announcement, which could potentially cause Modi to lose a lot of face if he went back to India without making significant progress, but at the end of this meeting, they announced essentially the best possible outcome for the two sides.”

On Thursday, hours before meeting PM Modi, Donald Trump announced a plan to enact reciprocal tariffs, though the duties will not take effect immediately.

The Republican leader, who has previously called India a ‘very big abuser’ of tariffs, again mentioned the country while signing his executive order on reciprocal taxes.

“There are a couple of smaller countries that are actually more but India charges tremendous tariffs. I remember when Harley Davidson couldn’t sell their motorbikes in India because of the fact that in India – the tax was so high, the tariff was so high, and Harley was forced to build… But I think they built a factory in India in order to avoid paying the tariffs,” he remarked.

Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 25 per cent additional tariff on imports from neighbours Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent for those from China. However, the taxes on Canada and Mexico were subsequently paused for a month.