Hours before his scheduled bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United States President Donald Trump reaffirmed his intention to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries such as India and China.
He made the remarks while speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“We'll soon impose reciprocal tariffs because that means, they charge us, we charge them. It’s very simple. Whatever a company or a country, such as let’s say India or China or any of them, whatever they charge, we want to be fair ... so reciprocal. Reciprocal meaning, ‘they charge us, we charge them’,” Trump said.
The US President further emphasised that such measures had not been implemented before, stating, “We haven’t done that, we have never done that. We are getting ready to do it.”
Tougher Stance on India’s Tariffs
Trump has been vocal about his discontent with India’s tariff structure.
During a recent interview with Fox News, conducted jointly with Elon Musk, he reiterated that Washington would not spare India from reciprocal trade measures.
“I told Prime Minister Modi yesterday – he was here – I said, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do: reciprocal. Whatever you charge, I’m charging’,” Trump said.
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Trump’s comments come amid ongoing trade tensions between the two countries, particularly concerning India's high tariff rates on American imports. The US President has previously criticised India, branding it the “tariff king,” and has repeatedly pressed for greater market access for American products.
Policy shift on trade measures
During his first tenure in office, Trump revoked India’s preferential trade status under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) in May 2019. The move, he argued, was necessary as India had not provided “equitable and reasonable access” to its markets.
At a proclamation signing in the Oval Office, Trump reinforced his stance, stating, “I’ve decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff. It’s fair to all. No other country can complain.”
Trump also injected humour into his speech, joking about his fondness for the word ‘tariff,’ stating that it had once been his favourite word before being surpassed by “family,” “love,” and “God.” He added, “I think, let’s put God first. You know why, because we don’t want to take any chances.”
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