WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States would soon begin “bringing down” tariffs on India, signaling a possible breakthrough in the long-running trade talks between the two nations. The announcement came a day after Trump’s longtime aide, Sergio Gor, was sworn in as the new U.S. ambassador to India during a ceremony at the Oval Office.
When asked about the ongoing trade negotiations, Trump told reporters that the tariffs on India had been imposed because of its oil trade with Russia. He said that since New Delhi had “substantially stopped” its Russian oil purchases, Washington was preparing to lower the tariffs.
“The tariffs are very high on India due to Russian oil, and they’ve stopped doing the Russian oil very substantially,” Trump said. “We’re gonna be bringing the tariffs down… at some point, we’ll bring them down.”
The U.S. had earlier imposed heavy tariffs—reportedly as high as 50%—on Indian goods. The move came after India increased oil imports from Russia following the Ukraine conflict, which drew criticism from Washington. Trump’s remarks suggest that the two countries may be closer than ever to striking a fair trade deal.
Trump described the ongoing discussions as a step toward resetting trade relations with India. “We’re making a deal — a much different deal than we had in the past,” he said. “We’re getting a fair deal, just a fair trade deal. We had pretty unfair trade deals.”
He acknowledged that his earlier policies had caused some tension between the nations. “So right now they don’t love me, but they’ll love us again,” Trump said with a smile, adding that India’s negotiators were “very good” and that both sides were “getting close to doing a deal that’s good for everybody.”
The tariff announcement came shortly after Sergio Gor, a top Trump aide, officially took office as the U.S. ambassador to India. The Oval Office ceremony was attended by several high-ranking officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Senator Lindsey Graham.
Trump praised Gor’s appointment, calling it a “big deal” for one of America’s “most important international relationships.” He said Gor’s role would focus on strengthening ties between Washington and New Delhi across strategic, economic, and security fronts.
“As the ambassador, Sergio will work to fortify our country’s bond, promote investments in key U.S. industries and technologies, increase American energy exports, and expand our security cooperation,” Trump said.
The president described India as “one of the world’s oldest civilizations” and “the largest country in the world,” noting its rapidly growing middle class and rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region. “It’s an amazing country,” he added.
During his remarks, Trump again expressed admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the strong relationship between the two nations. He called his connection with Modi “fantastic” and said Gor’s mission would build on that partnership.
“I know you’re gonna have a great success over there,” Trump told Gor. “It’s a very important relationship.”
The president also noted Gor’s personality, joking that the diplomat can be a polarizing figure. “Some people don’t like him so much — I’ll be honest with you, Sergio,” Trump said. “Some people, when they don’t like Sergio, they don’t like him. But when they like him, they like him more than anybody.”
Trump’s comments marked a new chapter in the U.S.-India relationship, which has seen both cooperation and conflict over trade and energy policy. Analysts say the decision to lower tariffs could open the door for increased bilateral trade, greater investment, and deeper defense cooperation between the two democracies.
If the tariffs are lifted, it would be one of the most significant policy shifts in recent years and a major step toward rebuilding trust. Both countries are seen as key partners in balancing power across the Indo-Pacific, where growing competition with China has made strategic alliances even more important.
For now, Trump’s promise to reduce tariffs and push for a “fair deal” signals optimism. As the new ambassador begins his mission in New Delhi, all eyes are on whether Washington and New Delhi can turn the goodwill into concrete progress.
