Arabic version: اتفاق تجاري أميركي-هندي يبدو أقرب بعد انتخابات التجديد النصفي

According to Cnbc, a long-awaited U.S.-India trade agreement may be closer following U.S. President Donald Trump’s setback in the midterm polls. Experts said Trump could seek to close pending trade agreements as policy achievements, with a pact involving New Delhi viewed as a prime candidate.

Experts told CNBC that Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could sign the agreement when they meet in December for the G20 leaders’ meeting. Mark Linscott, a former assistant U.S. trade representative and senior advisor at the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, said talks were far along and that there appeared to be a gentlemen’s agreement to conclude a deal when the leaders meet at Mar-a-Lago in December.

Tariffs have become a political issue after Democrats prepared to challenge Trump’s tariff policy on taking control of both houses of Congress. Ronak D. Desai, a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, said the election was a verdict on the cost of living and that a trade deal was an achievement Trump could announce on his own. Tax Foundation estimates cited by CNBC said duties raised the average U.S. household’s tax burden by $820 in 2026 and $1,000 in 2025.

Trump announced a deal with India in February, saying New Delhi had agreed to “Buy American” at a much higher level after the United States agreed to cut tariffs to 18%. The agreement has awaited final approval, particularly after the Supreme Court struck down Trump tariffs. In October, officials had said negotiations reached an impasse, but Trump said on Oct. 20 that the sides were “pretty close” to a final deal. India’s commerce and external affairs ministries and the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office did not respond to CNBC requests for comment.