On April 29, 2025, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent… [m]edia briefing by U.S. Treasury Secretary at the White House. Plus, it was during this trip that he announced the United States is “very close” to working out a trade deal with India. This statement came as part of the events surrounding President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office, highlighting the administration’s focus on international trade relations.
Bessent said that India should be one of the first countries the U.S. reaches a trade agreement with. He touted the substantial progress on the negotiation front. He went on to praise the trade talks between President Trump and that other world leader of his choice, saying they’d “made some very good progress”.
“We have 18 important trading relationships, we will be speaking to all of those partners, or at least 17 of them, over the next few weeks,” Bessent said, adding that many of these partners have already visited Washington. Importantly, he did stress that China should not be counted among these trading partners with active state-trading plans.
Though not an official statement during the briefing, Bessent reflected on the benefits of having India at the negotiating table. “A country like India, which has the posted and ready tariffs, it’s much easier to negotiate with them,” he stated. This sentiment reflects the current administration’s strategy to approach trade discussions with countries that have established tariffs, which may streamline the negotiation process.
In addition to his comments during the press briefing, Bessent appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box, further elaborating on the importance of India’s role in U.S. trade initiatives. He indicated that news on the new trade deal with India would be more likely to come in the short term.
She wants to see better strength of trade relations. He has shown an admirable willingness to advance negotiations which would increase economic relations between the United States and countries around the world. India was a shrewd choice by the Trump administration to make a priority. They seek to further U.S. strategic alliances and enhance economic development by reducing barriers to trade via market-opening bilateral trade agreements.