US President Donald Trump announced that a trade deal with India is “close” to being finalised, as Washington dispatches tariff letters to 14 countries including Japan, South Korea, and Bangladesh. The new 25 per cent tariffs will take effect on August 1 unless agreements are reached,

In letters so far to 14 countries, including smaller exporters to the United States such as Serbia, Thailand and Tunisia, Trump hinted at opportunities for additional negotiations, even while warning that reprisals would draw a like-for-like response.