Trump Says India Negotiating Trade Deal On Lines Of US-Indonesia Pact—What You Need To Know

US President Donald Trump said India is negotiating a trade deal similar to the one he finalised with Indonesia, aiming to expand US access to Indian market, reported NDTV.

Under the Jakarta deal, the US will impose a 19 per cent tariff on Indonesian imports while Indonesia removes tariffs on US exports.

Explaining the approach, Trump said, "India basically is working along that same line," adding, "We're going to have access into India."

Negotiators from India and the US are pushing to reach an agreement before Trump’s 1 August deadline.

He has warned countries, including India, that failure to agree could trigger tariffs as high as 35 per cent.

While Trump referenced the Indonesia model, it is unclear if India will accept the same terms, given the challenge of a 19 per cent tariff on its exports while allowing duty-free US imports.

Trump also addressed Russia’s war on Ukraine, suggesting President Vladimir Putin might accept a peace deal before a 50-day deadline, potentially sparing India and others from his proposed 100 per cent punitive tariffs on Russian energy.

When asked about the 2 September deadline, Trump replied, "I don't think 50 days is very long, and it could be sooner than that."

He announced tougher measures on Russia for refusing a ceasefire, including secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian energy to cut Moscow’s funding.

Meanwhile, Senate Republican leader John Thune delayed a bill proposing 500 per cent tariffs, as Trump preferred using executive sanctions.

Trump defended his tariff strategy, saying, "You have to understand, we had no access into any of these countries... And now we're getting access because of what we're doing with the tariffs."

He asserted that Indonesia produces high-quality copper and rare earth minerals that the United States requires.

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