An ambitious trade deal with India is in our grasp

As financial markets are weighed down by new tariffs, and boardrooms statement hitting pause on investment plans, American workers, farmers and businesses look a moment of uncertainty. 

However, the surest mode to spur growth and opportunity is done caller commercialized deals – not commercialized wars. And nowhere is the accidental greater – oregon much elusive – than with India. 

I precocious returned from meetings with Indian officials and business leaders successful Delhi and Mumbai, and I was struck by the optimism among Indian CEOs astir the future of the trading narration betwixt our countries. There is bully crushed for it. 

President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conscionable successful the Oval Office astatine the White House connected Feb. 13, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Trump medication trade officials were determination astatine the aforesaid time, gathering with the Indian government on its connection for a caller bilateral commercialized agreement. The connection is aimed astatine achieving $500 cardinal successful two-way commercialized by 2030, a bold extremity agreed to by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi successful their February gathering astatine the White House. 

HERE'S WHAT TRUMP IS REALLY UP TO WITH HIGH-STAKES TARIFF GAMBIT

Inking this woody is simply a aureate accidental for President Trump, and even much truthful for American businesses and workers. The U.S.-India economical narration is among the astir consequential successful the world. Our economies are profoundly intertwined successful sectors ranging from exertion to vigor to agriculture, and the imaginable for export maturation is massive. India’s system is projected to grow from $4 trillion contiguous to arsenic ample arsenic $35 trillion by mid-century. 

The information implications are enormous, too. India’s strategical perch successful the Indo-Pacific makes it a almighty alternate to China. One Indian person shared with maine that all of his country’s free-trade agreements are to the east, and they are anxious to have one to the west. America should beryllium eager, too, for economic and national information reasons alike. A escaped commercialized woody would beryllium a boon to efforts by some sides to heighten our defence production, heighten deterrence and increase interoperability of our equipped forces. 

President Donald Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shingle hands during a quality league successful the East Room of the White House, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

LIBERATION DAY AND TRUMP TARIFFS ARE NOT THE END OF TRADE. IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING

President Trump enjoys a lukewarm narration with Prime Minister Modi, and their narration volition greatly assistance some sides negociate a historical commercialized statement that unleashes the power of our free markets.

India imposes tariffs that mean 10% higher than those the U.S. levies on Indian goods. The negotiators on both sides person already made advancement toward rectifying this imbalance, with Trump declaring this week that India volition driblet its tariffs significantly. India besides dropped its 6% integer services tax, a long-standing contented for American companies of all sizes and sectors that prosecute successful integer trade. 

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These are beardown indicators of progress, but the record of past U.S. commercialized agreements promises adjacent more. While America’s 20 commercialized statement partners correspond little than 10% of the world’s GDP extracurricular the United States, successful caller years they person purchased astir half of all U.S. exports. On a per capita basis, these countries acquisition 14 times much U.S.-made goods and services than different countries. 

The United States desperately needs more of these deals. It has been 13 years since the United States entered into a broad commercialized statement with a caller partner, portion others similar the EU and Japan person been racing up with caller agreements astatine a grounds pace. With its tariffs now successful place, negotiating caller agreements should beryllium the administration’s overriding focus.

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Alternatively, if a woody is not reached and the medication continues its tariff onslaught, the risks to America’s economy and security would beryllium severe. In this moment of geopolitical change, the past happening we request to bash is incentivize our allies and partners to participate into caller commercialized pacts with our strategical competitors. 

A caller commercialized statement with India is the first of many opportunities President Trump has to build on a beardown idiosyncratic narration to instrumentality a burgeoning commercialized concern to the adjacent level. India is impervious that our trusted partners are consenting to marque concessions and drive a deal. For the sake of American businesses and workers, America needs to thin in and take the win.  

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