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

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.

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India Has Highly Skilled Workforce: Rubio

Rubio also praised India for its capacity and highly skilled workforce, saying US companies are interested in joint production with India.

“As far as joint production is concerned, that would be ideal. I mean, obviously it’s something we have to build on, but that would be ideal because India has tremendous capacity. It has a very highly skilled workforce, and I know our companies are very interested in producing here,” he said.

“I think not just the United States and India, but multiple countries around the world — have a need to develop their defense industrial base, and I think India could be a tremendous contributor to that,” he added.

Russian Oil Sanctions ‘Not Aimed At India’

He also clarified that the sanctions imposed by Washington on Indian goods for purchasing Russian oil were not directed specifically at India, but were part of a broader effort to pressure Moscow into ending its war against Ukraine.

Rubio also told CNN-News18 that the US saw an opportunity for India to diversify its energy sources, including the United States and other countries like Venezuela. “We want to be a strong partner in that regard, and I don’t believe this is an issue. India is already moving toward diversification, and hopefully the war in Ukraine will end,” he said.