JD Vance slated to visit Italy, India amid ongoing trade negotiations
Vice President JD Vance is embarking on his third international trip with the Trump administration, starting with visits to Italy and India. The purpose of the trip is to discuss shared economic and geopolitical priorities with leaders in each country, according to a statement from Vance’s office.
In Rome, Vance is scheduled to meet with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In India, he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi while visiting New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. The vice president and the second family are also planning to visit several unspecified cultural sites during their trip.
The White House has reported that more than 75 countries have expressed interest in negotiating trade deals with the U.S. following the unveiling of historic tariffs on April 2. Both the European Union and India have signaled interest in brokering trade deals with the U.S., with Meloni stating Italy’s opposition to the tariffs imposed on the EU and willingness to protect Italian businesses using all available tools.
Vance’s previous international trips included attending the Munich Security Conference in February, where he urged Europe to increase its defense capabilities. He also visited the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland in March, emphasizing the importance of missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance operations conducted by the Space Force.
The original tariff plan involved imposing 20% duties on EU goods and at least 26% duties on Indian goods. However, Trump announced a 90-day pause on these tariffs on April 9, reducing duties to 10% as countries work towards negotiating trade deals with the U.S.
Diana Stancy, a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House, provided this information. The trip signifies Vance’s commitment to advancing America’s interests on the global stage, and his efforts to strengthen relationships with key allies and partners.
