India trade deal expected to be forged soon – Lutnick

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is optimistic that a trade deal with India will be struck soon. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

WASHINGTON, United States – US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Monday voiced optimism for a trade deal soon with India to avoid tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.

“You should expect a deal between the United States and India in the not too distant future,” he told the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, which promotes relations between the two countries, calling himself “very optimistic.”

Trump has set a delayed deadline of July 9 for countries to avoid sweeping tariffs, as he seeks to shake up the global economy to correct what he says is unfairness to the United States.

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Lutnick, a strong advocate of tariffs, said he was a “great fan” of India — but voiced longstanding concern about the emerging economy’s use of tariffs.

On tariff negotiations with India, “bringing them down to a level that is reasonable and appropriate so we can be great trading partners with each other, I think is absolutely on the table,” Lutnick said.

“There were certain things that the Indian government did that generally rubbed the United States the wrong way. For instance, they generally buy military gear from Russia,” he said.

But he said that Trump believed in raising concerns and “the Indian government is addressing it specifically and directly.”