Washington, 21 October

The US and India are “pretty close” to making a trade deal, which will be much different than the earlier pacts, US President Donald Trump said here.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said India and the US were pretty close to making a trade deal.

“They want to make a deal. We're going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah,” Trump said in response to a question.

“It’s going to be a much different kind of deal than we've done," the president said.

Trump’s remarks came at a time Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting India and discussed further strengthening bilateral relations focussing on sectors such as trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people ties.

Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Milwaukee and Washington to discuss the finer aspects of the trade deal.

India and the US in February announced the finalisation of the framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA). However, changes in the tariff landscape in the US have led to further negotiations on the pact.