Athira Sethu
Kochi, 11 Nov 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States and India are getting close to a trade deal. Speaking at the swearing-in of the new US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, Trump said the talks between the two nations are going well and will cut tariffs on Indian goods in the future.
Trump said that the two countries are working towards a fair deal, and though India might not be too fond of him right now, he said they would be happy when the deal is in place. He went ahead to praise India’s negotiation skills, stating the deal would be good for both countries.
On being asked about lowering tariffs, Trump elaborated to state that the tariffs on Indian imports were high owing to concerns regarding Russian oil; however, now that India has reduced its oil imports from Russia, the US will soon lower the tariffs.
Trump also spoke about the importance of India, one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with over 1.5 billion people. He said US-India relations are very strong, particularly with Modi as the prime minister, and Ambassador Gor has already built a pretty good relationship with Modi.
Progress in Talks
Trump’s remarks come as trade negotiations between India and the United States are continuing. India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently said that trade talks between the two countries were going good, though some key issues remain to be sorted out. The talks are moving ahead but will take time due to the complexity of the issues, he added.
The trade agreement, first proposed in early 2025, aspires to expand trade between the two countries from $191 billion to $500 billion by 2030. So far, five rounds of talks have taken place, and the goal is to reach an agreement by the end of 2025.
In September, Mr. Goyal visited Washington to push the talks forward while a US team met Indian officials in New Delhi. Both sides are working hard to finalize a deal that will be beneficial for both countries.
