“India, as an example, has one of the highest tariffs in the world,” Trump told reporters.
“We’re not going to put up with that, and they’ve agreed already to drop it. They’ll drop it to nothing. They’ve already agreed. They would have never done that for anybody else but me.”Broader trade strategy
Trump used the opportunity to reiterate his administration’s broader approach to trade, saying the U.S. will demand fair terms from all trading partners.
“So we’re going to put down some numbers and we’re going to say our country is open for business,” he said.
“And they’re going to come in and they’re going to pay for the privilege of being able to shop in the United States of America. It’s very simple. It’s very simple.”
Trump did not provide details on when the tariff reductions would take effect or whether they are part of a larger, formal trade agreement.
Ongoing US-India trade talks
The United States and India have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal for several years, with progress often described as uneven.
Last month, Trump said the discussions were “coming along great” and expressed optimism that a deal was imminent.
“I think we’ll have a deal with India,” he said at the time.
Past Criticism of India’s Trade Policies
Trump has frequently criticised India’s trade policies during his time in office, calling the country a “tariff king” and a “big abuser.” In 2019, his administration removed India from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), ending duty-free access for billions of dollars in Indian exports.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from Indian government sources about any agreement to eliminate tariffs entirely.
With inputs from PTI
(Edited by : Ajay Vaishnav)
