“Pretty close.” That’s how Trump described a US–India trade deal on Tuesday, after more than a year of on-off negotiations.
The comment came as Jaishankar and Rubio met in Mumbai to discuss trade, energy, technology and defence, though neither side gave a signing date.
The mood has flipped fast. Earlier this month, FM Sitharaman admitted the talks had plateaued, and US trade chief Greer said a deal wasn’t imminent.
The stakes are big. An interim framework earlier this year cut the extra US duty on Indian goods from 25% to 18%, after tariffs had at times reached 50%. Even so, Indian goods exports to the US jumped 21% in August to $8.3 billion. Close isn’t signed, though.