Washington: The U.S. and India are “pretty close” to making a trade deal, which will be much different from earlier pacts, U.S. President Donald Trump said in Washington.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office on Tuesday (October 20, 2026), Mr. Trump said the two countries were close to sealing the agreement. “They want to make a deal. We’re going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah,” he said in response to a question.
“It’s going to be a much different kind of deal than we’ve done,” the President added.
Remarks Coincide With Rubio’s India Visit
Mr. Trump’s remarks came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting India and discussed further strengthening bilateral relations, focusing on sectors such as trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people ties.
Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Milwaukee and Washington to discuss the finer aspects of the trade deal.
Background
India and the U.S. in February announced the finalisation of the framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA). However, changes in the tariff landscape in the U.S. have led to further negotiations on the pact.
