US President Donald Trump said on October 20 that the United States and India are “pretty close” to a bilateral trade agreement, which will be “a much different kind of deal” from those the US has signed with other partners, according to the Indian Express. The day before, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides were “weeks, not months” from finalizing it and that 99% of the work was done. The remaining issues relate to the precise wording of the text. After talks with Rubio in Mumbai, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said both sides welcomed the progress in negotiations and reaffirmed their commitment to an early conclusion.
Under the interim framework announced in February 2026, India committed to eliminating or reducing tariffs on a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including tree nuts.