White House official says trade issues with India 'won't be resolved overnight': Report

The remark from the White House official comes as Donald Trump announced its new trade policy with hours to go before the August 1 trade deadline.

Published on: Aug 1, 2025, 06:58:12 IST

By Majid Alam

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

As US President Donald Trump signed an executive order revealing his tariff plan ahead of the August 1 deadline, a senior White House official has said the US's issues with India "won’t be solved overnight".

President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (AP)

Donald Trump on Wednesday had announced imposing 25% tariffs on Indian goods and an unspecified penalty over purchases from Russia.

"These are complex relationships and complex issues. I don’t think things can be resolved overnight with India,” CNN quoted a senior White House official as saying.

Also Read: Trump signs executive order imposing reciprocal tariffs up to 41% on imports

The comment from the White House official comes as Trump announced his new trade policy with hours to go before the August 1 trade deadline. The order was issued shortly after 7pm on Thursday evening.

Trump announced the reciprocal tariffs between 10% and 41% for 68 countries and the 27-member European Union, with a baseline 10% rate to be charged on countries not listed in the order. A senior administration official said the rates were based on trade imbalance with the US and regional economic profiles.

Trump's tariff on India

Trump on Wednesday slapped 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, along with an unspecified penalty tied to energy and defence purchases from Russia.

Following the tariff announcement, Trump also maintained that the US was “still negotiating” with India on trade. The 25% tariff is marginally lower than the rate announced in April, but is higher than those of other Asian countries that have struck preliminary trade agreements with Washington.

Reacting to the tariff, commerce minister Piyush Goyal has said that India will take “all necessary steps” to secure its national interest.

“The implications of the recent development are being examined by the government,” Goyal said while addressing the Parliament. He further said the commerce ministry is engaged with all stakeholders, including exporters and industry for taking feedback on their assessment of the situation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Majid Alam
Majid Alam is a Chief Content Producer working at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. He currently heads shifts at online desk and manages homepage apart from writing, editing and curating articles. With over six years of experience in journalism, Majid has navigated national, politics and international news. His work primarily focuses on the politics of the Hindi heartland, government policies, and South Asia. He also writes on US and Europe’s policies vis-à-vis India. Before joining Hindustan Times, Majid worked at ABP LIVE as the Chief Copy Editor and at News18, where he managed the World and Explainers sections. His articles have featured in Dialogue Earth, The Quint, BMJ, The Diplomat, and Outlook India. Majid has a keen interest in the use of data for storytelling. Majid holds a Masters in Convergent Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris in 2020. He is also part of the OCEANS Network, an alumni network of Erasmus+ exchange scholars. He is currently serving as the National Representative (India) at the OCEANS Network. Apart from journalism, Majid has a flair for academic writing and loves to teach. He has published a book chapter: 'Bombay Cinema and Postmodernism' in the book: 'Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema.' He was also part of the OCEANS Network delegation to Hanoi National University of Education in Vietnam in 2025. He has also given guest lecture in digital journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.Read More

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.