'Both Countries Will Be Stronger': Marco Rubio Appears Optimistic On India-US Trade Deal | Exclusive

Last Updated:May 23, 2026, 20:35 IST

Rubio said the US hoped to finalise the trade deal with India "very soon" that will make both countries stronger.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday projected confidence in the prospects of the US-India trade agreement, saying it will make both countries stronger.

India and the United States established a framework for the proposed interim trade pact through a joint India-US statement released on February 7, under which the US initially agreed to reduce tariffs on Indian goods from as high as 50% to around 18%.

Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, Rubio said, “I view it (trade deal) more as a continuation of a very strong relationship and looking for new areas of opportunity. We hope to have finalised very, very soon a trade agreement that’s going to make both of our countries stronger."

The top US diplomat said both sides shared a lot of similar security concerns. “We have a lot of commonality, obviously. There are a lot of investments in the United States by Indian companies," he said.

“I view this visit, as much as anything else, as sort of a continuation and just continuing to build on what we already have as a foundation, and the progress that’s been made in just the last year and a half in the second Trump administration," Rubio added.

News world 'Both Countries Will Be Stronger': Marco Rubio Appears Optimistic On India-US Trade Deal | Exclusive

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