President Donald Trump said on June 20 that he expects that the United States will sign trade deals with both India and Pakistan, signaling growing momentum in his administration’s push to reshape global trade through tariff diplomacy.
Speaking to reporters upon arriving in New Jersey on June 20, Trump expressed optimism about reaching agreements with the two countries.
“It looks like we’re going to be making the trade deal with India and we had Pakistan in,” Trump said. “It looks like we’re going to be making a trade deal with Pakistan—and it’s a beautiful thing to watch.”
With that 90-day window set to expire on July 8, Trump suggested earlier this month that he may extend the deadline to allow negotiations to conclude. At the same time, he said such an extension might prove unnecessary if countries quickly agree to the United States’ terms—or accept unilateral trade conditions dictated by Washington.
“We’re rocking in terms of deals,” the president added, pointing to recent agreements reached with China and the United Kingdom as examples of progress.
“We made a great deal with China. We’re very happy with it ... and hopefully they are too. That was a very big one.”
As part of the UK deal, the United States will also establish a 100,000-vehicle annual import quota from Britain at a 10 percent tariff rate, along with exemptions for UK-produced steel and aluminum under a separate quota system.
Canada currently faces three separate sets of U.S. tariffs: global duties on steel and aluminum—recently doubled to 50 percent—along with levies on automobiles and auto parts and a set of country-specific tariffs tied to concerns about border security and drug trafficking.
Asked on June 11 which countries may finalize deals before the July 8 deadline, Trump said his administration was in talks with about 15 nations, including Japan and South Korea. If negotiations stall, he said, the United States may simply issue final terms.
“At a certain point, we’re just going to send letters out ... saying: ‘This is the deal—you can take it or you can leave it. You don’t have to use it, you don’t have to shop in the United States,’” Trump said.