Donald Trump Claims India Offered ‘Zero Tariffs’ Trade Deal Amid Ceasefire Diplomacy

Trump also claims credit for halting the India-Pakistan conflict through trade diplomacy, though New Delhi has firmly denied trade being a factor.

Washington/Doha, May 15, 2025:
US President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that India has offered a “zero tariffs” trade deal to the United States, while also asserting that American trade pressure helped defuse tensions between India and Pakistan.

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Speaking at a business event in Qatar as part of his Middle East tour, Trump said, “India offered us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariff.” The Indian government has not yet officially responded to this claim.

Trump’s Apple Remark Raises Eyebrows

In a controversial remark, Trump added that he had personally asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to refrain from expanding operations in India. “I said I don’t want you building in India,” Trump said, claiming Apple would instead boost production in the US—a statement that could spark economic and diplomatic ripples.

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Backdrop: High Tariffs and Trade Negotiations

Trump’s remarks follow his administration’s 26% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods imposed during his April 9 ‘Liberation Day’ address. India and the US are currently engaged in talks to finalize a bilateral trade agreement during a 90-day window for tariff negotiations.

Despite Trump’s assertions, sources close to the Indian government told Hindustan Times that no discussions around trade took place during recent top-level talks concerning the Indo-Pak crisis. Senior US and Indian officials—including PM Modi, NSA Doval, EAM Jaishankar, VP JD Vance, and Secretary Marco Rubio—reportedly did not reference trade in their exchanges.

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Ceasefire Claims Revisited

Trump also reiterated that his administration helped prevent a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. Referring to Operation Sindoor and subsequent retaliations, he said, “We stopped a nuclear war, I think it could have been a bad nuclear war. Millions could have been killed.”

However, India has consistently maintained that the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan on May 10 was arranged bilaterally between the two militaries’ DGMOs, without any foreign mediation.

India’s Position on Talks with Pakistan

India has firmly rejected Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir, reiterating that talks with Pakistan will only concern PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and counter-terrorism, and only at the DGMO level. Issues like the Indus Waters Treaty or broader Kashmir negotiations are off the table, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

Meanwhile, Indian and US negotiators are reportedly close to finalizing the first stage of a comprehensive bilateral trade deal, expected by Fall 2025, based on a framework agreed upon during PM Modi’s February 2025 visit to Washington.

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Donald Trump, India US Trade Deal, US India Tariff War, Operation Sindoor, India Pakistan ceasefire, Apple India operations, India US relations, zero tariff deal, Tim Cook, Kashmir mediation, India US diplomacy