Bangla Press Desk: Efforts to finalise a trade agreement between India and the United States have made significant progress, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.
However, Trump said the deal would be different from previous trade agreements signed by the United States.
According to India Today, Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday.
“India wants to make a deal. We are going to make a deal too. We have come a long way,” Trump said.
He added, “It will be a lot different from the deals we have made before.” However, he did not provide further details about the terms or nature of the agreement.
Some issues remain unresolved in the proposed trade deal between India and the United States, and the two countries are continuing negotiations to address them. Changes in US tariff policy have also necessitated further discussions.
Remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is visiting India, have also indicated that the agreement is nearing completion. He said only a few issues remained to be resolved before the deal could be finalised.
Asked about the proposed trade agreement on Tuesday, Rubio said the two countries were very close to reaching a deal.
“We are about as close as you can get to officially finalising something before it is actually done. There are just a few things left to work out,” he said.
Rubio expressed hope that the remaining issues would be resolved soon, allowing leaders from both countries to sign the agreement.
During his visit to India, Rubio has been discussing ways to strengthen bilateral relations, including cooperation in trade, energy, technology and defence, as well as expanding people-to-people ties.
Earlier this month, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The meetings, held in Milwaukee and Washington, covered various aspects of the proposed trade agreement.
In February, India and the United States announced that they had finalised the framework for the first phase of their bilateral trade agreement (BTA). However, subsequent changes in US tariff policy prompted the two sides to reopen negotiations.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor also recently expressed optimism about the deal at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi. He said the major issues had been resolved and that the two countries were close to finalising the agreement.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also expressed optimism, saying both countries are moving towards a final resolution.
Statements by Trump, Rubio and other officials indicate progress in the negotiations. However, Trump's comment that the agreement would differ from previous US trade deals leaves the final terms and structure of the proposed pact unclear.
BP/SP
-6ad78d1255220-(1).webp)
