Trump's Tariff Tango with India: Bean There, Done That?

Deal or No Deal? It's a Mystery!

Right so apparently Mr. Trump – he's the fellow with the… interesting hair – says things are 'coming along great' with India. A trade deal you see. Like when I tried to trade Teddy for a sandwich once. Didn’t quite work out. The man wanted real money! Can you believe it? Mr. Modi the Prime Minister of India he came to visit a few weeks ago. Probably brought better presents than I did when I visited Mrs. Wicket. Just a sock. She wasn't impressed.

The Sock Exchange

Speaking of deals Mr. Bessent – a very important waistcoat by the looks of him – said the U.S. is 'very close on India'. Close to what I wonder? Close to running out of tea? Close to needing a good lie down? Mr. Bessent also mentioned Japan and South Korea. It’s like a global game of musical chairs but with tariffs instead of chairs. And no music which is a shame. I do enjoy a good jig especially when no one's looking (or even when they are).

Bean Diplomacy: A Masterclass

Apparently some other important chap Mr. Vance met with Mr. Modi. 'Made some very good progress,' they said. What sort of progress? Did they manage to find a parking space? Did they finally get the telly to work? These are the important questions people! All this talk of announcements... I bet they won't be announcing a free ice cream day. That's the sort of announcement I'd like to hear.

Tariffs? More Like Terrifying!

Mr. Bessent says India has 'posted and ready tariffs' which makes negotiating 'much easier'. Sounds suspicious to me. Anything that's too easy is probably a trap! Like when I found a fiver on the pavement. Turned out it was glued down. The cheek of it!

India: The New Holiday Destination?

Some clever clogs named Raghuram Rajan reckons India benefits if it can get lower tariffs. Makes sense I suppose. Lower prices mean more biscuits! And everyone knows biscuits are the key to world peace. He also said companies might look at India differently. Maybe they'll build a giant rubber duck factory there. Now that's something I'd pay to see.

17 (or 18?) Trading Partners Walk Into a Bar...

The White House apparently is trying to make friends with everyone. Except for China. Poor China! All alone in the corner. Reminds me of Teddy when I accidentally left him on the bus. Anyway Mr. Bessent says they're talking to loads of countries. Let's hope they remember to bring the biscuits. And maybe a rubber chicken. You never know when a rubber chicken might come in handy... especially during high level diplomatic negotiations.