US President Donald Trump has said that his administration could finalise trade deals with some countries as early as this week, giving hope to nations aiming to avoid higher US import tariffs. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested that agreements might be reached soon, though he did not mention any specific countries. “It could be very well,” he said.
Trump explained that while talks were ongoing with several nations, the final decisions would be made by him, not the other parties. The POTUS also said that the timing of the deals would depend on his decision, not on the countries involved. “It’s up to me, it’s not up to them,” he said.
Last week, Trump had said that the US has been exploring possible trade agreements with India, South Korea, and Japan.
India is among the several nations which is currently in discussions with the US to avoid the high import tariffs announced by Trump. While most of these tariffs have been temporarily paused, a 10% basic duty still applies, along with earlier tariffs of 25% on steel, aluminum, and car parts.
India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, had recently visited the US as part of efforts by President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to begin working on the initial phase of a broad Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), expected to take shape by autumn 2025. Both leaders had previously agreed to assign senior officials to lead the talks.
US Vice President JD Vance referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “tough negotiator” and accused India of taking advantage of the US in past trade relations. However, he also suggested that India might be among the first countries to strike a deal aimed at avoiding the new US tariffs. He added that trade talks are also ongoing with Japan, South Korea, and some European nations.