NEW DELHI, May 17 :– As negotiations continue between India and the United States over a long-anticipated trade pact, US President Donald Trump has again claimed that India is willing to eliminate tariffs entirely on American goods — a statement met with caution in New Delhi.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said a trade deal with India is on the horizon, though he emphasized he’s not in a hurry. “They make it almost impossible to do business. Do you know that they’re willing to cut 100 per cent of their tariffs for the United States?” he said.
While expressing confidence about a forthcoming agreement, Trump added, “That’ll come soon. I’m in no rush. Look, everybody wants to make a deal with us.” He went on to say, “South Korea wants to make a deal, but I’m not going to make deals with everybody. I’ve got 150 countries that want to make deals.”
However, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking in New Delhi on Thursday, responded with a more tempered message, emphasizing reciprocity and fairness. “These are complicated negotiations. Nothing is decided till everything is. Any trade deal has to be mutually beneficial; it has to work for both countries,” he said. “That would be our expectation from the trade deal.”
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is currently in Washington for high-level meetings with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer to evaluate the progress of the discussions.
India is reportedly pushing for tariff relief in sectors where it holds a competitive edge, including textiles, gems and jewellery, leather, plastics, chemicals, shrimp, oil seeds, and select fruits such as grapes and bananas.
Conversely, the United States is seeking improved access in areas like industrial goods, automobiles — especially electric vehicles — as well as dairy products, wines, petrochemicals, apples, and tree nuts.
Trump’s repeated labeling of India as “one of the highest tariff nations in the world” has been a persistent friction point, though both countries have shown willingness to advance negotiations.
Despite the rhetoric, Indian officials continue to stress that the ultimate goal is a deal that provides balanced economic value. As Jaishankar put it, “It has to work for both.”
