US President Donald Trump has said that the trade agreement with India is not yet finalized, as he emphasized that India imposes more tariffs than any other country.
Trump spoke to reporters in Air Force One aircraft while returning to Washington from Scotland on Tuesday and was asked about the trade agreement with India. When Trump was asked if the agreement with India had finalized, he said, “No, it is not so.”
He was also asked about the reports that India is preparing to face the high American tariff between 20-25 percent, to which he said, “Yes, I think so.”
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump said, “India is my friend and he is also my friend.”
Trump again reiterated the claim that he stopped the struggle between India and Pakistan through trade.
He said, “And you know, he ended the war with Pakistan at my request, and it was very good. And Pakistan too … we have made many, many great agreements, including recent compromises with Cambodia, as you know.”
To what their expectations are from the agreement with India, he said, “We will see. But India has been a good friend. But India has basically recovered more tariffs than in almost any other country in the last few years. But now I am in charge, and you cannot do it.”
He said, “I think business agreements are going very well, hopefully for all, but for the United States, they are great.”
An official said in New Delhi on Tuesday that an US team will visit India on 25 August for the next round of talks for the proposed bilateral trade agreement between the two countries.
Although this team is coming to the end of the next month, the two sides are busy removing differences for an interim trade agreement before 1 August.
The period of suspension of tariffs imposed on dozens of countries, including India (26 percent) by US President Donald Trump on 1 August, is ending. India and US teams completed the fifth round of talks for the agreement in Washington last week.
On 2 April this year, Trump announced high mutual charges. The implementation of high fees was immediately postponed for 90 days till 90 days and then till 1 August, as the US is negotiating trade agreements with various countries.
