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Donald Trump says the US and India are close to a trade deal, while Marco Rubio says negotiations are down to technical details.
Trump Says US-India Trade Deal Is Close, Signals Different Agreement (Photo: AP)
US President Donald Trump has said that the United States and India are “pretty close” to reaching a trade deal, adding that the proposed agreement would be “a much different kind of deal” than previous pacts.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said both countries were moving toward an agreement when asked whether a trade deal with India was close.
“They want to make a deal. We’re going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah,” Trump said in response to the question.
“It’s going to be a much different kind of deal than we’ve done,” he added.
Watch: When asked whether a trade deal with India was close, US President Donald Trump says, “…We’re going to make a deal…It’s going to be a much different kind of a deal…”(Source: White House/YT) https://t.co/MEdQWAZWVC
— IANS (@ians_india) October 20, 2026
Trump’s remarks come amid continued diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Washington, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visiting India and holding discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on strengthening bilateral ties, including cooperation in trade, defence, technology and energy.
The comments also come as both countries work towards an early conclusion of the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
At A Glance
Donald Trump says the US and India are “pretty close” to a trade deal.
Trump says the proposed agreement will be “a much different kind of a deal” than previous pacts.
Marco Rubio says negotiations are down to technical details, with both sides committed to an early conclusion.
Rubio Says India-US Trade Deal Is ‘Incredibly Close’
During his visit to India, Rubio described the proposed trade agreement as “incredibly close”, indicating that the negotiations had reached the stage of resolving technical details.
Speaking to Network18, Rubio said he was closely following the discussions, although the negotiations were being handled by the US Trade Representative.
He expressed the expectation that the agreement could materialise in weeks rather than months, while emphasising the importance of ensuring that every detail was finalised before a public announcement.
“I think we are down to some technical details that need to be worked out. Technical details matter because there has to be an agreement; both sides have to agree that the language means the same thing. So, it’s down to that level,” Rubio said.
He also stressed that announcing an agreement before it was fully finalised could put a relationship of such importance at risk.
Rubio’s assessment came as he held wide-ranging discussions with Jaishankar in Mumbai on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two ministers reviewed the full scope of India-US relations and welcomed the progress made in negotiations on the proposed BTA.
“They welcomed the progress made in negotiations on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and reaffirmed their commitment to working towards its early conclusion,” the MEA said.
Rubio is on an official visit to India from October 20 to 21 at the invitation of Jaishankar. The visit marks his second trip to the country, following an earlier visit to New Delhi in May.
During the discussions in Mumbai, the two sides also deliberated on key strategic areas, including defence, technology and energy security, while exchanging views on regional and global developments.
Rubio also attended the US Freedom 250 Reception hosted by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in Mumbai, where Jaishankar was the chief guest.
Addressing the gathering, Rubio described the strategic alignment between India and the United States as “extraordinary”, while acknowledging that the two countries would not always agree on every issue.
He said their shared interests could influence geopolitics, economics, trade and commerce for decades to come.
Rubio is scheduled to proceed to Jamnagar in Gujarat for discussions that will include enhanced energy cooperation, according to the US State Department.
Piyush Goyal Holds Talks With US Trade Representative
Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Milwaukee and Washington to discuss the finer aspects of the proposed trade agreement, news agency PTI reported.
India and the US had announced in February the finalisation of a framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement. However, changes in the US tariff landscape have led to further negotiations on the pact.
Quick Answers
Ask News18US President Donald Trump stated that the United States and India are “pretty close” to reaching a trade agreement, hinting that it will be a much different kind of deal than previous pacts.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
October 21, 2026, 08:34 IST
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