Can India avert 26% Trump Tariffs? US President pushes ahead bilateral trade negotiations to prevent reciprocal duties- Report

With a tariff deadline looming, US President Donald Trump has launched an aggressive round of trade talks with India, Israel, and Vietnam, aiming to strike last-minute bilateral deals that could stave off steep new import duties. The negotiations come just days before the White House's newly announced tariffs take effect, intensifying pressure on the involved countries to reach a deal—or face the economic fallout.

According to a CNN report, Trump is pushing ahead with bilateral trade negotiations in a bid to prevent the implementation of proposed tariffs on imports from India, Israel, and Vietnam. These talks are part of a broader trade manoeuvre, with the president looking to reshape America's economic ties ahead of the April 9 deadline.

The White House confirmed that “the reciprocal tariffs will go into effect April 9 at 12:01 am ET,” CNN reported, citing a senior official.

The newly announced tariffs include a 26% duty on Indian exports, 46% on Vietnamese goods, and 17% on imports from Israel. These are among the first countries directly impacted under Trump’s "reciprocal trade" policy—a move that is likely just the beginning of a larger global reset.

Despite their relatively small share of overall US imports, the countries currently in talks are seen as a strategic starting point for broader negotiations. Meanwhile, major players like China and Canada have already pledged to retaliate with their own tariffs, signaling growing tensions.

Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One on Thursday, said, “Every country has called us. That’s the beauty of what we do, we put ourselves in the driver’s seat. As long as they are giving us something that’s good.”

He also pointed to the TikTok issue as an example of how tariffs serve as leverage. “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’ The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have,” he said.

Eric Trump weighed in on the situation via X, formerly Twitter. “I wouldn’t want to be the last country to try to negotiate with @realdonaldtrump,” he wrote. “The first to negotiate will win — the last will absolutely lose. I have seen this movie my entire life.”