2 July 2025 : US President Donald Trump has hinted towards trade deal with India which will have “much less tariffs.” Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the US president said that India and US “are going to have a deal” amid the ongoing negotiation deadlock between the two nations.
“I think we are going to have a deal with India. And that is going to be a different kind of a deal. It is going to be a deal where we are able to go in and compete. Right now, India does not accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, and if they do that, we are going to have a deal for much less tariffs,” Trump told reporters abroad Air Force One.
Teams and delegations from India and US have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement between both nations amid the freeze on Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs.
Trump’s 90-day pause on the tariffs is set to end on July 9.
India-US BTA in the works
An Indian delegation led by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal continues to work towards finalising the trade agreement with the US ahead of the July 9 deadline. As per ANI, the team has reportedly also extended its stay in Washington in order to get this deal signed and formalised.
If India and the US do not strike a deal by July 9, Trump’s 26 percent tariff on Indian goods would become applicable, with very little space left for negotiations.
Despite the negotiations, the trade deal talks have come to a deadlock after India’s refusal to open its dairy sector for foreign countries.
The US has demanded for reduced duties in the dairy sector, which India has never opened for any trade partner before. Furthermore, Washington is also pushing for reduced duties on agricultural products, including apples, tree nuts, and genetically modified crops.
On the other hand, India is seeking access for textiles and garments, gems and jewellery, leather goods, and agricultural products like shrimp, oilseeds, grapes, and bananas.
Summary:
Former President Trump said the U.S. and India are close to a trade agreement featuring substantially reduced tariffs, aiming to beat the July 9 deadline and avert reciprocal duties.