US 6 march 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Citing high tariffs from countries such as Brazil, India and China, US President Donald Trump said his plan for reciprocal tariffs would come into effect on April 2, but Indian officials held out hope of a resolution, pointing to trade negotiations currently underway between New Delhi and Washington.
Trump’s intention to hit a range of trade partners with reciprocal tariffs, unveiled during an address to a joint session of the US Congress on Tuesday, have intensified concerns about trade wars that could hit global economic growth. Trump’s remarks came at a time when commerce minister Piyush Goyal is on a nearly week-long visit to the US for the trade negotiations.
According to people familiar with the ongoing talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Indian side may escape the tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose from April 2 as both sides are actively engaged in constructive negotiations to address each other’s concerns, including tariff and non-tariff barriers.
“An Indian delegation led by commerce minister Goyal is in the US for important meetings. The negotiations are on and we have agreed on having the first tranche of a mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement by the fall of 2025,” one of the people said.
A second person added, “The Indian delegation will deliberate on trade matters on the lines of the joint statement finalised at the meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi on February 13. This visit is part of efforts to negotiate the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement by the fall.”
Summary: Donald Trump’s tariffs will take effect from April 2, while India is actively working on securing a separate trade deal to mitigate the impact.