Trump Claims India Will Cut 100% Tariffs, Says Trade Deal Coming Soon

New York: US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that India is willing to cut 100 per cent tariffs on American goods and hinted that a trade deal between two nations could be announced soon.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump reiterated his often -stated criticism of India's tariff regime, calling it “one of the highest tariff nations in the world.” “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?” Trump said.
When asked about the timeline of the deal, he said: “That’ll come soon. I’m in no rush. Look, everybody wants to make a deal with us.” Trump also mentioned other countries, such as South Korea, expressing interest in trade pacts with the US, but added that he would not be entering into agreements with every country: “I’ve got 150 countries that want to make deals.”
While Trump’s claims suggest a major breakthrough, Indian officials have taken a more cautious stance. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking in New Delhi on Thursday, emphasised that “any trade deal has to be mutually beneficial” and that negotiations are ongoing. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is currently in Washington to assess the progress of trade talks and is expected to hold meetings with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
India is seeking duty concessions for sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery, leather goods, garments, chemicals, and agricultural products, while the US is pushing for tariff cuts in areas including automobiles (especially electric vehicles), wines, petrochemicals, dairy, and apples. Despite Trump's confident statements, Indian officials stress that no deal has been finalised yet.