Trump announces Israel-India trade route running through Israel

Trump: ‘It will run from India to Israel to Italy and onward to the U.S., connecting our partners, roads, railways, and undersea cables.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

During a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that a new trade route between the two countries—passing through Israel—will be “the greatest in history.”

“It will run from India to Israel to Italy and onward to the U.S., connecting our partners, roads, railways, and undersea cables,” Trump said while meeting Modi at the White House.

Trump acknowledged that the trade route would be “costly,” but emphasized that it is crucial for the countries to “stay advanced and remain the leader.”

The President also expressed confidence that the friendship between Israel and India is “the strongest it has ever been.”

He added that they would discuss the long-standing trade disparities between the two countries and expected “wonderful trade deals” in the future.

“We’ll begin negotiations to address the long-standing disparities that should have been resolved over the past four years,” stated the U.S. President.

Additionally, Trump announced that the U.S. would begin selling fighter jets to India.

“Starting this year, we’ll significantly increase military sales to India by billions of dollars. We’re also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters,” Trump said.

Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, traveled to India with Israel’s largest business delegation on Monday.

The two-day visit is aimed at strengthening economic relations between Israel and India, expanding trade opportunities, and fostering technological collaboration. The delegation’s departure marks a new phase in the growing economic partnership between the two nations.

“The departure of this economic delegation to India represents a critical step in enhancing our ties, boosting Israel’s economy through increased exports, and lowering living costs by expanding imports,” said Barkat.

“At the invitation of Indian Economy Minister Piyush Goyal, we are embarking on a mission to unlock new markets, boost trade, and eliminate barriers.”