‘I think we are going to reach a deal with India, we are looking to get a full trade barrier dropping…’: Donald Trump

WASHINGTON,DC: US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about a trade deal with India and said his country is looking for “full trade barrier dropping which is unthinkable” and that he is not sure that that is going to happen.

“India, I think we are going to reach a deal where we have the right to go and do trade. Right now, it’s restricted. You can’t walk in there, you can’t even think about it. We are looking to get a full trade barrier dropping, which is unthinkable and I am not sure that that is going to happen. But as of this moment, we agree that going to India and trade…” “We have made a deal with China…We have 200 countries plus,” Trump told reporters here.

“At a certain point over the next week and a half or so, or maybe before we are going to send out a letter and talk to many other countries. We are going to tell them what they have to pay to do business with the US,” he added.

He was responding to a query on US reciprocal tariff deadline.

Trump said on Thursday (US local time) that America has signed a deal with China and hinted that a “very big” deal with India will follow soon.
Trump made the remarks while speaking at the Big Beautiful Bill event.

In his speech hinting towards trade deals, Trump said, “Everybody wants to make a deal and have a part of it. Remember a few months ago, the press was saying, ‘You really have anybody of any interest? Well, we just signed with China yesterday. We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India. Very big one. Where we’re going to open up India, in the China deal, we are starting to open up China.”

Trump asserted that deals will not be made with every other nation.

“We’re not going to make deals with everybody. Some we are just going to send them a letter, say thank you very much. You are to pay 25, 35, 45 per cent. That’s the easy way to do it, and my people don’t want to do it that way. They want to do some of it, but they want to make more deals than I would do,” he said.

“But we’re having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India. Very big one. Where we’re going to open up India, in the China deal, we’re starting to open up China. Things that never really could have happened, and the relationship with every country has been very good” he added.

However, Trump did not elaborate on the details of the deal signed with China.

Earlier in June, CNN reported that the United States and China reached a new trade agreement, reviving terms first agreed to in Geneva last month, after escalating tensions led to a virtual halt in bilateral trade.

Earlier this month, while speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that a trade deal between India and the United States could be finalised soon, with both countries finding common ground that suits their interests.

“I think to be in a very, very good place, and you should expect a deal between the United States and India in the not-too-distant future because I think we found a place that really works for both countries.”

When asked if he was hopeful about the outcome, Lutnick said he was “very optimistic,” and added, “It could be sort of the way I come across,” he said.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on June 10 that India and the US were in the process of negotiating a fair and equitable trade agreement that will benefit both economies.

Addressing a press conference over India-US trade deal and Future trade agreement with the European Union, Piyush Goyal said, “PM Narendra Modi and US President Trump met in February 2025…Both our leaders have decided to enter into a bilateral trade agreement which will be mutually beneficial for both the economies, businesses on both sides and the people of both countries. We are negotiating to make a nice, fair, equitable and balanced agreement to promote business.”

Highlighting that both America and India are “very close friends, allies and strategic partners”, Piyush Goyal said that the trade deal is an opportunity to expand bilateral trade and strengthen the partnership between the two nations.

About two weeks remain before the critical July 9 deadline as India and the United States negotiate challenges in finalising their Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) as the 90-day tariff pause period draws to a close.

Government sources earlier emphasised that India’s national interests will remain paramount in ongoing negotiations, even as both nations work intensively to reach an interim deal before the deadline expires.

The negotiations had hit roadblocks, with the US maintaining its demands for substantially reduced duties on American agricultural and dairy products, along with market access for genetically modified (GMO) crops.

Indian is apparently not keen on these proposals, citing concerns over food security, environmental protection, and the welfare of its domestic farming sector. (ANI)