Tariffs stir talks: India, Vietnam and Israel hustle for deals with team Trump

India, Vietnam, and Israel are reportedly engaging in talks with the United States, following the announcement of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff measures, CNN reported.

These negotiations come just days after the US imposed a series of new tariffs affecting several nations, including a levy of 26% on India.

According to Reuters, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the levies with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A State Department readout of their meeting confirmed that the tariff discussions are part of a broader diplomatic effort. The talks are centered on a relatively small subset of the countries impacted by the new tariffs, with both parties looking to strike deals.


This is seen as the first phase of a larger set of negotiations, as countries begin to assess their next steps and responses to the tariff changes.

On Friday, Vietnam, which is facing a 46% tariff on its exports to the US, announced that it intends to reduce its tariffs on US goods to zero, pending an agreement with the US.

President Trump shared this development in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Also read: Did Warren Buffett really call Trump’s tariff move ‘the best economic move in 50 years’?

Tariffs: A strategy to disrupt global trade?

“Just had a very productive call with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the US. I thanked him on behalf of our country, and said I look forward to a meeting in the near future,” Trump wrote.

While some critics suggest that the tariffs are part of a strategy to disrupt global trade, Trump defended the measures, telling reporters on Thursday that they enhance his negotiating power.

“Every country has called us. That’s the beauty of what we do — we put ourselves in the driver’s seat. The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have,” Trump said.

Regarding India, Trump noted that, despite his personal friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has imposed a significant 52% tariff on American goods. Trump remarked, “We have charged them almost nothing for years and years,” referencing the longstanding trade imbalance.

Vietnam, a key manufacturing hub and the largest trading partner of the US in Southeast Asia, has been particularly affected by the tariffs. The 46% duty on Vietnamese goods is part of Trump's broader trade policies, though the ongoing talks suggest a potential shift in these measures.

Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reported that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to visit the United States in the near future, with the 17% tariff on Israeli goods likely to be a key issue on the agenda.

If the visit materializes, it will mark another critical point in the current tariff discussions between the US and its global trade partners.