Trump says 'pretty close' to trade deal with India, will bring down tariffs

Trump said Sergio Gor had already developed a “friendly” relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

President Donald Trump said he “at some point” would reduce the tariff rate on Indian goods, saying the US was getting “pretty close” to a trade deal with New Delhi.

US President Donald Trump predicted India and the US were “pretty close to doing a deal that’s good for everybody.” (AP)

“Right now they don’t love me, but they’ll love us again,” Trump said. “We’re getting a fair deal.”

Trump later predicted the nations were “pretty close to doing a deal that’s good for everybody.”

The comments were the latest signal of a possible thaw in the trade dispute that has soured the relationship between the US and India.

Trump earlier this year slapped additional tariffs on India’s exports to the US in part to pressure New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil, raising the rates on many Indian goods to 50%. That added tensions to negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement between the two nations.

But in recent weeks, Trump has said that Modi has pledged to wind down purchases of crude from Russia and expressed optimism about trade talks. “They’ve stopped doing the Russian oil - it’s been reduced very substantially,” the president said on Monday. “Yeah, we’re going to be bringing the tariffs down, I mean at some point.”

Trump was speaking at the swearing-in for Sergio Gor, the former head of his personnel office who is now becoming the US ambassador to India. Trump said Gor had already developed a “friendly” relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“As ambassador, Sergio will work to fortify our country’s bonds, promote investments in key US industries and technologies, increase American energy exports and expand our security cooperation,” Trump said.