Trump’s Trade Blitz: China Deal Inked, India in the Crosshairs

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Inside the Dealroom: What Just Happened In a surprise announcement during the White House's "Big Beautiful Bill" event, former-US President Donald Trump announced that the United States has now officially signed a trade deal with China. While specifics are kept under wraps, the agreement reportedly centers around relaxing rare earth exports from China to the US—a perennial problem that has long plagued world supply chains.

Key Findings of the China Agreement

The agreement is reported to revive a dormant Geneva arrangement for restarting Chinese exports of strategic minerals like rare earths and magnets.

These are essential to US industries like semiconductors, defense, and electric vehicles.

In return, the US will ease some of the tariffs and export controls.

Trump emphasized that the deal would "open up China" in ways that had been impossible previously.

India in the Limelight: A 'Very Big' Deal on the Cards Trump didn't stop there, however. He also hinted at a huge trade deal with India, calling it a "very big one" that's in the pipeline in the coming near future. No deadline was specified, but US and Indian officials both confirmed that negotiations were under way.

New Developments on the India Front

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed optimism that a mutually beneficial deal is "not-too-distant."

India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated the two nations are heading towards a balanced and fair deal.

The talks are reported to focus on market access, e-commerce, medical devices, and agricultural exports.

India is also looking for nondiscriminatory terms for services and regulatory safeguards for its industries.

Strategic Signals

Trump stated that not all nations would be provided with a trade agreement. There would be some that would receive only tariff notices. The US appears to be shifting toward high-impact, selective trade alliances and away from broad multilateral agreements.

The India deal, if finalized, could significantly deepen the strategic and economic ties between the two democracies.

Sources: Zee News, India Today, Hindustan Times, NDTV, Economic Times, South China Morning Post, News18, LiveMint, Bloomberg