United States Secretary of State says a trade deal with India is very close ahead of talks in Mumbai

19 October 2026

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 19 October 2026 that Washington is nearing completion of a trade agreement with India, saying, 'We're very close to doing that.' He linked the agreement to the President's decisions on national security waivers, including the tariff waiver tied to purchases of Russian oil. He said a country's economy cannot be unravelled over one central issue and that foreign policy has to balance many factors. Rubio is to make a three-day visit to India from 20 to 22 October 2026, scheduled to land at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at 2.15 pm on 20 October and to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar there that afternoon. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the talks will cover energy, trade and investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies and the situation in West Asia, and Rubio travels to Jamnagar in Gujarat the next day.