‘Very big one': Donald Trump hints at trade deal with India after China pact
President Donald Trump Friday hinted at a 'very big trade deal' with India as Washington and New Delhi continue negotiations to iron out an agreement before the US tariff suspension ends on July 9.
On April 2, the US had announced 26 per cent reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods and later effected a 90-day pause period that ends July 9.
Asserting that deals are not being made with just any nation, the US President 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 did not elaborate on the details of the deal signed with China, or the likelihood of a major trade deal with India.
'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.
Earlier this month, US trade negotiators were in India to discuss the agreement. The White House had said that the US had asked countries to make their best offers on trade negotiations as the July 8 deadline for reciprocal tariffs was just weeks away. 'I can confirm the merits and the content of the letter. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) sent this letter to all of our trading partners just to give them a friendly reminder that the deadline is coming up,' White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt had said.
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick had said that the US aimed to bring back advanced manufacturing and bridge the trade deficit by increasing exports to India, adding that both sides had 'found a place that really works' for them.
Indian officials, meanwhile, have indicated that diversifying oil and defence procurement is in the country's strategic interest and sourcing more from the US could also significantly help bridge the goods trade gap, as India's refining capacity has been increasing alongside oil import dependency, which surged to 90 per cent in April 2025.
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