US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said India and the United States were “pretty close” to finalising a trade deal after more than a year of negotiations. He further added that the agreement “could be a much different kind of deal”.“They want to make a deal. We’re going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about the prospects of an agreement. His remarks come amid growing optimism on both sides over the long-pending deal, with US secretary of state Marco Rubio also describing it as “incredibly close” during his visit to India.Rubio and external affairs minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging discussions in Mumbai on Tuesday, reviewing the full scope of India-US relations and committing to an early conclusion of the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).The meeting took place against the backdrop of the US Freedom 250 Reception hosted by US ambassador to India Sergio Gor in Mumbai. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) said that the discussions covered key strategic sectors, including trade, defence, technology and energy security. “They welcomed the progress made in negotiations on the India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and reaffirmed their commitment to working towards its early conclusion,” the MEA stated.The ministry added that Rubio’s visit reflected “the sustained momentum of high-level exchanges between the two countries, underscoring the importance both sides attach to further advancing the India-US COMPACT for the 21st century.”Rubio is on an official visit to India from October 20 to 21 at Jaishankar’s invitation. The trip marks his second visit to the country, following an earlier trip to New Delhi in May. He will next travel to Jamnagar in Gujarat for discussions that will include “enhanced energy cooperation”, according to the US state department.
Rubio calls India-US alignment ‘extraordinary’
Earlier on Tuesday, Rubio described the strategic alignment between India and the United States as “extraordinary”, saying the two countries had an opportunity to shape the course of the 21st century through their partnership.Speaking at the Freedom 250 Reception in Mumbai, he acknowledged that the two countries would not agree on every issue but said their shared interests could shape geopolitics, economics, trade and commerce for decades.“No two nations on Earth will ever be perfectly aligned on every issue, and there will be times and points of disagreement,” Rubio stated. “But on the core issues that matter, the core issues that define the national interests of both India and the United States, the alignment between our countries is extraordinary,” he added.Rubio also said the United States should engage diplomatically with India more frequently, describing the country as one of Washington’s most important geopolitical partners.Explaining the significance of his Mumbai visit, Rubio highlighted the city’s role as India’s financial and commercial hub, with many companies investing in and trading with the United States based there.
US, India officials express optimism over negotiations
Trump’s comments follow recent positive assessments from officials in both countries about the prospects of an agreement after a prolonged stalemate over trade between Washington and New Delhi.Last week, Gor told the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi that the “the big items are done” and that the two countries were very close to “landing it.”Jaishankar had also said he was “encouraged” by progress in the trade talks, adding that both sides were “heading toward a landing point.”The negotiations have also unfolded against the backdrop of Trump’s decision late Friday to waive tariffs of as much as 100% on buyers of Russian oil and gas. The duties would have affected Indian products and complicated the trade discussions.Trump’s latest remarks, alongside Rubio’s assessment that the agreement is down to technical details, point to continued progress towards a deal. Both sides have, however, stressed that every detail must be agreed upon by both sides before the agreement is announced.
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