US and India close to finalising trade deal:Trump says proposed pact will differ significantly from previous agreements

US President Donald Trump has said the United States and India are close to finalising a trade deal, adding that the agreement would be significantly different from previous pacts. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said both countries were keen to reach an agreement. “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 added. Marco Rubio discusses strengthening India-US ties Trump’s remarks came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited India and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations. The discussions focused on sectors including 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 details of the proposed trade agreement. Changes in US tariffs prompt further negotiations In February, India and the US announced the finalisation of a framework for the first phase of their bilateral trade agreement (BTA). However, changes in the US tariff landscape have led to further negotiations on the proposed pact.