Vance arrives as Trump's trade war hangs over visit

NEW DELHI HOPES FOR A QUICK DEAL AND A REPRIEVE FROM WEIGHTIER LEVIES

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J.D. Vance landed in New Delhi yesterday, kicking off a four-day visit to India that carries both personal and political significance for the US vice-president, while taking place against the backdrop of President Donald Trump's global trade war.

Vance's trip comes as the US is threatening to increase the 10 per cent tariffs on Indian exports to 26 per cent if no deal is reached by the end of the 90-day pause Trump put in place earlier this month. India is hoping to secure a trade deal soon to dodge the new levies.

Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, were greeted at the runway in the Indian capital by Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, a close partner of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The vice-president was given a gun salute and a performance of the US national anthem by a military band, as he watched under a red canopy, shielding him from the New Delhi sun.

Visit to temple