Donald Trump reiterated on Tuesday that India and the United States are very close to achieving a bilateral trade agreement. This comes when the US President announced a tariff of up to 40 percent on 14 countries, starting from 1 August.
“Now, we have made a deal with the United Kingdom, we have made a deal with China … We are close to a deal with India. We have met with others and we don’t think we are going to be able to make a deal, so we send them a letter. If you want to play the ball, this is what you have to pay,” Trump said on Monday.
The US government sent out the first installment of “letters” to various countries, giving the tariff details that the US would put on the products of those countries as they enter the US.
Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Tunisia were in countries that received a letter signed by Trump.
The US President said that many countries were “stunning” America by exceptionally charging high tariffs.
“And what tariffs are doing, they are running more companies in the United States,” he said while talking to reporters before bilateral dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.
India is currently looking at an extended deadline for mutual tariffs as the US imposed 25 percent tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, kicking from 1 August.
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Trump, who has repeatedly pointed out the role of America in interactioning on the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, started from the Pahgam terror attack, said that if the fight does not stop, threatened not to trade with the country.
Trump said, “We worked with India and Pakistan, Serbia, Kosovo, Rwanda and Congo, and it was in the last three weeks … and others who were ready to fight,” said Trump.
He said, “And we stopped a lot of quarrels. I think it was very big, clearly, a very big, India and Pakistan. And we stopped that business,” he said.
“We said that if you are going to fight we are not working with you. And they were probably on an atomic stage. They are both nuclear powers. And I think it was very important to stop,” Trump said.
(With input from PTI)
(Tagstotransite) Donald Trump (T) India US
