‘Take it or leave it’: Trump says US tariff letters ready for 12 countries ahead of…, will be sent out from…; What about India-US trade deal?

US President Donald Trump is taking a big step in his trade strategy by sending out letters about new tariffs (taxes on imported goods) to 12 different countries on July 7. He signed these letters on Friday, but he’s keeping the names of the countries secret until Monday. Trump mentioned that the tariffs will involve “different amounts of money” and could go as high as 70 per cent for some countries, starting from August 1. He thinks sending these letters is an easier approach than lengthy negotiations.

“I signed some letters and they’ll go out on Monday, probably twelve,” Trump said according to a Reuters report when questioned about his tariff strategy. “Different amounts of money, different amounts of tariffs.” According to the report, Trump’s letters will be sent with the American side indicating a ‘take it or leave it’ offers.

Back in April, Trump had already put a basic 10 per cent tariff on most goods coming into the US, with higher rates for some nations, like China. However, those higher tariffs were temporarily put on hold until July 9.

So far, the US has successfully made trade agreements with just two countries: the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

India’s Stance on Trade Talks

Meanwhile, a high-level team from India, led by Rajesh Agrawal, has returned from Washington without fully agreeing on a trade deal with the US. The main sticking point is agricultural and dairy products, which the US wants more access to.

Despite the recent talks, there’s still a small chance that an agreement could be reached between the leaders of both countries before the July 9 deadline. The Indian team was in Washington from June 26 to July 2 for these discussions.

India’s Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, has made it clear that India won’t rush into a trade agreement just because of a deadline. He emphasized that India will only make trade deals that are in its national interest and won’t be pressured by time limits.

The US is pushing to sell more of its farm and dairy products in India. However, this is a very sensitive issue for India because it directly affects the livelihoods of many small farmers in the country.

India, on the other hand, wants to avoid Trump’s 26 per cent tariffs by making a temporary deal before July 9. It’s also hoping for lower taxes on its own exports that create a lot of jobs, like textiles, leather, and footwear,

(With IANS inputs)

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