US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signaled that a bilateral trade deal with India could be finalized soon, potentially before reciprocal tariffs are imposed on August 1.
His comments come in the wake of a breakthrough in the US-Indonesia trade agreement, where tariffs were reduced from 32% to 19%.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “We made a terrific deal… I think something similar would happen with India and we have a couple of others,” referring to negotiations underway with several nations. He added that he was “very happy” with recent communications from India and suggested that a trade agreement with the country is among the most likely to be completed soon.
The remarks coincide with ongoing US-India bilateral trade agreement (BTA) talks currently being held in Washington. The four-day negotiations, which began on July 14, are expected to conclude on July 17, according to reports from news agency PTI.
Trump’s administration has recently sent tariff notification letters to 14 countries including Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The president also imposed steep new tariffs on Canada (35%), Brazil (50%), and warned of a 100% tariff on Russia unless a peace agreement with Ukraine is reached within 50 days.
Highlighting recent deals with the UK and China, Trump reiterated, “We’re close to making a deal with India,” positioning the subcontinent as a priority partner in the administration’s evolving trade strategy.
