New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to US President Donald Trump by phone on Wednesday (September 30), in the first conversation between the two leaders since Trump signed legislation giving Washington the power to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil and gas.In a post on X, Modi said he had a “productive conversation” with Trump during which they reviewed bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas.He wrote the two leaders had agreed to maintain “close engagement” to advance the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and had also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including efforts to advance global peace and security.Modi and Trump last met in person in June on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France.As per official sources, the Indian side had initiated the phone call. There was no US readout of the conversation available at the time of publication, and Modi’s post did not indicate whether the recently enacted US sanctions legislation targeting Russian energy buyers was specifically discussed.The conversation came 12 days after Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law. The legislation gives the US president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that continue significant purchases of Russian oil or gas, potentially affecting India and China, among other major buyers. The law does not automatically impose a 100% tariff, but gives the administration the authority to use such tariffs as a tool against countries purchasing Russian energy.The issue has added another layer of complication to the India-US trade negotiations. The two countries announced a framework for an interim trade agreement on February 7, 2026, with the broader objective of negotiating a bilateral trade agreement.But the interim agreement has not been finalised. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is in the US from September 29 to October 5 for the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee and talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer aimed at finalising an interim deal.External affairs minister S. Jaishankar said on September 28, at an Asia Society event in New York, that India and the US had reached “more or less an understanding” on the trade agreement, but the changes in the US tariff framework complicated the timing of its conclusion.The US Supreme Court in February struck down Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs. This followed the imposition of a 50% tariff on Indian goods in August 2025, comprising a 25% reciprocal tariff and a further 25% levy linked to Russian oil purchases, one of the highest rates imposed on any US trading partner at the time. The Russia-related 25% tariff was withdrawn on February 7, shortly before the Supreme Court ruling.Jaishankar also referred to the US move towards Section 301 as a new basis for tariffs after the earlier reciprocal tariff framework was struck down by the US Supreme Court.In July, Washington had also imposed a 10% Section 301 tariff on Indian goods following a US investigation into the failure of 60 economies, including India, to impose and effectively enforce prohibitions on goods produced with forced labour .