U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that the United States has signed a trade deal with China, and hinted that a “very big” agreement with India could be next.
“We just signed a trade deal with China. We're not going to make deals with everybody. But we're having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India, a very big one,” Trump said during a White House event focused on promoting a government spending bill.
Trump also said that the new deal with China would open up trade avenues that had previously been restricted.
“We’re going to open up India. In the China deal, we’re starting to open up China. Things that never really could have happened before. The relationship with every country has been very good,” he added.
However, Trump did not provide any specific details about the China deal.
He made it clear that his administration would be selective in pursuing trade agreements.
“We're not going to make deals with everybody. Some, we’re just going to send them a letter, say thank you very much. You are to pay 25, 35, 45 per cent. That’s the easy way to do it. My people don’t want to do it that way, they want to make more deals than I would,” Trump said.
Earlier this month, while speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick had said that a trade deal between India and the United States could be finalised soon, with both countries finding common ground that suits their interests.
"I think to be in a very, very good place, and you should expect a deal between the United States and India in the not-too-distant future because I think we found a place that really works for both countries," he had said.