TMTPOST -- U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick   on Thursday signaled   the Trump administration see   a   series of   trade deals with   with 10   major trading partners   to be done in the next two week.

Credit：Xinhua News Agency

"We ’ re going to do top 10 deals, put them in the right category, and then these other countries will fit behind,"   Lutnick said in   a Bloomberg interview   on Thursday. If   Lutnick ’ s prediction   comes true, 10   countries would   meet the deadline of July 9, which is when the Trump administration ’ s reciprocal tariffs return to higher levels   from the baseline level 10%.

Lutnick didn ’ t specify which countries would   reach   agreements with U.S, though he noted a deal with   India   is near completion   as   negotiations   are   at the   "close   finish   line."  

Earlier   Thursday,   U.S. President Donald Trump   also singled out   India,   suggesting White House   is nearing   an agreement with the South   Asian country. "We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe   with   India.   Very big   one,"   said Trump   during his   remarks at the "Bill Beautiful Bill"   event at White House.   The president didn ’ t   eleborate   details   of the possible deal, but said "we ’ re going to open up India."

Trump reiterated that his team   will   work with   some of trading   partners to strike a deal while for   other   partners,   U.S. will   skip the negotiation with a   direct proposal of tariffs. "We ’ re   not going to   make deals   with everybody. Some we   are   just going to send them a   letter, say thank   you   very much.   You ’ re   to pay   25, 35, 45%.   That ’ s the easy   way to   do it, and   my people don ’ t want to do it   that   way. They   want   to do some of it, but they want to make more deals than I would do,"   he said.

However a   report   on Thursday suggested the outlook   of U.S.-India   deal may not as rosy   as the Trump team   touted, dampening hopes of reaching a deal   ahead of the July deadline. Trade negotiations between U.S. and   India have hit a roadblock   over disagreements   on   import   duties for auto components,   steel and farm goods, Reuters cited Indian officials familiar   with the matter. It was reported that India is seeking to   remove Trump ’ s proposed 26%   reciprocal tariffs   on India, along with   concessions on existing   U.S. leveies   on steel and auto parts, but U.S. negotiators have not agreed to the demand.

Trump announced on April 9 in a post he has authorized a 90-day pause and "a substantially lowered reciprocal tariff"   of 10% during this period, both effective immediately. The White House clarified that Trump ’ s announcement of a 90-day pause on tariffs means that the "tariff level will be brought down to a universal 10% tariff" during that time, while "negotiations are ongoing."

More than a month later, Trump acknowledged the administration was unable to handle tariff talks with so many trading partners by a self-imposed deadline July   9. The president on May 16 said he would set tariff rates for other countries "over the next two to three weeks", and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick would send letters to these nations "telling people what they will be paying to do business in the United States."

Trump didn ’ t specify which countries would receive letters about his proposed tariff rates and which would have the opportunities to start negotiations, but stated there are 150 countries seeking to make a deal. "I guess you could say they could appeal it, but for the most part I think we're going to be very fair. But it's not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us," said the president.

Trump on June 11 told reporters trade negotiations were continuing with about 15 countries, including South Korea, Japan and the European Union. He said the United States would send out letters in one to two weeks outlining the terms of trade deals to dozens of other countries, which they could embrace or reject.