Trump Says US ‘Very Close’ to Trade Deal With India as Negotiations Advance

Trump Says US 'Very Close' to Trade Deal With India as Negotiations Advance

Washington, D.C. – Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States is “very close” to finalizing a new trade deal with India, as high-level negotiations continue to seek greater market access and reduced tariffs. The statement signals renewed momentum in U.S.-India economic ties amid a broader shift in Washington’s trade strategy.

Speaking in the Oval Office during a meeting with Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Trump remarked, “We’re very close to a deal with India, where they open it up.” His comments were echoed in a separate interview with Real America’s Voice, where he reaffirmed efforts to secure better trade terms through assertive negotiation and strategic tariff deployment.

“We’ve made deals with a lot of great places. We have another one coming up, maybe with India. I don’t know, we’re in negotiation. When I send out a letter, that’s a deal,” Trump stated.

He added, “The best deal we can make is to send out a letter, and the letter says that you’ll pay 30%, 35%, 25%, 20%. We have some pretty good deals to announce.”

India-US Trade Talks: Strategic Tariff Leverage at Play

Trump’s comments come as a delegation from India’s Commerce Ministry visits the U.S. for a fresh round of trade talks. Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has reiterated that India will only finalize a trade agreement once it is “comprehensively negotiated, well-aligned with India’s national interest, and not dictated by artificial deadlines.”

The two countries are reportedly working on a limited trade pact, focused on lowering tariffs—particularly keeping them under 20%—on key goods and services. Trump emphasized that his administration’s tariff-based strategy has been successful in gaining U.S. businesses access to previously restricted foreign markets.

“You have to understand, we had no access into any of these countries. Our people couldn’t go in. And now we’re getting access because of what we’re doing with the tariffs,” Trump said.

New Deal With Indonesia Shows Trump’s Trade Playbook

On Tuesday, Trump also announced a new trade agreement with Indonesia, featuring a 19% tariff on all Indonesian imports to the U.S., while granting full tariff-free access to American exports. The deal replaced a previous proposal for a 32% tariff and demonstrates Trump’s willingness to apply economic pressure in return for favorable terms.

Growing US-India Economic Ties in Focus

The U.S. and India, the world’s largest and fifth-largest economies respectively, have seen growing alignment on trade, defense, and technology. A successful trade deal would be a significant milestone, further strengthening the strategic partnership amid global supply chain shifts and rising competition with China.

As both sides push for consensus, Trump’s latest remarks hint that a breakthrough may be on the horizon—though the final agreement will depend on whether India sees the terms as balanced and beneficial.