Trump made these remarks on Tuesday while speaking to reporters outside the White House. India has also said that the meetings for negotiation of Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States are making “positive progress” and termed the discussions as “fruitful.”
US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism over ongoing tariff negotiations with India, stating that discussions are “coming along great” and indicating confidence that a trade agreement between the two countries could soon be on the horizon. He made these remarks while addressing reporters outside the White House on Tuesday. Notably, his comments came amid persistent efforts by both nations to resolve long-standing trade differences and enhance economic ties.
The US and India have been working through a series of trade issues, including tariffs and market access, and both sides have indicated interest in reaching a mutually beneficial resolution. “I think we’ll have a deal with India…The Prime Minister, as you know, was here three weeks ago, and they want to make a deal,” Trump was quoted as saying by CNBC news.
Trump’s comments came a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the United States and India made “some very good progress” concerning the trade deal during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the country and some announcements could be made soon. Addressing a media briefing, Bessent said that Vance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi made “some very good progress” concerning the bilateral trade agreement.
“I am glad you brought up our Asian trading partners and allies. They have been the most forthcoming in terms of doing the deals. As I mentioned, Vice President Vance was in India last week. I think that he and PM Modi made some very good progress. So, I could see some announcements on India. I could see the contours of a deal with the Republic of Korea coming together and then we’ve had substantial talks with the Japanese,” he said.
India-US BTA makes ‘positive progress’
Earlier on Tuesday, India said that the meetings for negotiation of Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States are making “positive progress” and termed the discussions as “fruitful.” As part of ongoing discussions on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, representatives of India’s Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative met in Washington, DC, from April 23-25, 2025. This follows earlier bilateral discussions held in March 2025 in New Delhi. The Ministry further added that the team had fruitful discussions on a wide range of subjects, including tariff and non-tariff matters, during the meetings in Washington, DC.
26% reciprocal tariff on India
It should be noted here that US President Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on a number of countries, including India and China, on April 2. Highlighting the high tariffs imposed by India on American goods, Trump announced a “discounted reciprocal tariff” of 26 per cent on India, stressing his administration’s intent to address perceived trade imbalances. However, on April 9, he announced a 90-day suspension of these tariffs until July 9 this year, except for those on China and Hong Kong, as about 75 countries approached America for trade deals.
What is a reciprocal tariff?
A reciprocal tariff is a duty imposed by one country in response to the tariffs levied by another country on its exports. Essentially, it operates on a tit-for-tat basis where a nation attempts to counterbalance the economic impact of high tariffs imposed on its goods by charging a similar or proportional rate in return. Trump’s “discounted reciprocal tariff” is aimed at offsetting the tariffs that India allegedly imposes on American products. The US President emphasised that this new measure was a necessary step to protect American interests and promote fair trade.
(With AP inputs)
