Trump Reveals India’s Tariff-Free Trade Proposal During Qatar Visit

United States President Donald Trump made significant remarks on Thursday, revealing that India has proposed a bilateral trade agreement that would eliminate tariffs on several American goods. Speaking during a meeting with business representatives in Doha, the capital of Qatar, Donald Trump stated, “India has proposed a deal for trade without tariffs.” However, he did not disclose any further details regarding this proposal.

At the same event, Donald Trump also mentioned that he had a discussion with Apple CEO Tim Cook. He claimed to have advised Tim Cook to reconsider the plan of expanding manufacturing units in India and instead focus on building those facilities within the United States. “Apple is going to increase its production in America,” said Donald Trump.

It is already known that discussions on a bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States have been ongoing. As part of this effort, representatives from India’s Ministry of Commerce and officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative held productive talks in Washington from April 23 to 25, aiming to finalize the first phase of the agreement by the fall of 2025 (September–October). Prior to that, bilateral discussions were also held in New Delhi in March 2025.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in February this year, he held talks with Donald Trump. Both leaders agreed to finalize the first phase of a mutually beneficial, multi-sectoral bilateral trade agreement by the fall of 2025. The two countries also set a target under the ‘Mission 500’ initiative to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. According to the Ministry of Commerce, these talks are part of a broader effort to strengthen economic ties and integrate supply chains between the two nations.