Is India Actually Offering A 'Zero Tariff' Deal To The US?

US President Donald Trump has once again made headlines with his recent claim on a trade deal with India, saying the country has offered a pact with “zero tariffs” on US goods. Surprisingly, India countered the statement and said “nothing is decided yet”. Speaking to media persons on Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the negotiations are complicated and far from final.

“Between India and the US, trade talks have been going on. These are complicated negotiations. Nothing is decided till everything is. Any trade deal has to be mutually beneficial; it has to work for both countries. That would be our expectation from the trade deal. Until that is done, any judgment on it would be premature," said Jaishankar.

His clarification came after Trump claimed that India offered a trade deal with “basically zero tariffs” on US goods. “They have offered us a deal where we’re basically they’re willing to charge us no tariff literally,” Trump said while addressing a news conference in Doha. However, he did not share any specific detail about the alleged deal.

The new trade deal between India and the US has become the talk of the town since Trump has made a historic comeback as President of America. Initially, he imposed a 26% reciprocal tariff on Indian imports to the US as a part of his announcements. But later, the President gave India along with other countries a 90-day pause to strike trade deals and lower tariffs. Since then, India has been trying to clinch a trade deal with the US at lower tariffs.

The bilateral trade between India and the United States reached approximately $129 billion in 2024, making the US India’s largest trading partner. The trade relationship currently tilts in India’s favour, with a surplus of $45.7 billion.

This was not the only remark about India that Trump had made today.

Trump's Other Remarks on India

Trump said he has asked Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook to stop building plants in India, criticising the iPhone maker’s plans to manufacture all its iPhones for the US market in the country. 

“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday. He is building all over India. I don’t want you building in India,” Trump told Bloomberg, referring to his conversation with the Apple chief executive in Qatar, where he is on a state visit. Trump added that Apple would be “upping their production in the United States”.

His remarks came as reports suggest Apple is working to shift the bulk of its iPhone production for the American market to India by the end of 2026. Apple assembled $22 billion worth of iPhones in India in the 12 months through March, increasing production by nearly 60% from the previous year.