We get along with India very well: Trump
President Donald Trump criticized the US-India trade relationship as “one-sided,” citing high Indian tariffs on American goods. While acknowledging improved ties, he defended steep US tariffs. India called the measures “unjustified,” asserting its right to protect national economic interests
New York/Washington: President Donald Trump has said the US gets along with India “very well” but the relationship was “one-sided” for many years since New Delhi was charging Washington “tremendous tariffs”.
“No, we get along with India very well,” Trump said in the White House on Tuesday in response to a question on whether he is considering taking away some of the tariffs imposed on India.
Trump’s comments come amid a strain in ties between New Delhi and Washington after the US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, among the highest in the world.
He said that for many years, the relationship between India and the US was “one-sided” and that changed when he assumed office.
“India was charging us tremendous tariffs, about the highest in the world,” Trump said, adding that the US was therefore not doing much business with India.
“But they were doing business with us because we weren’t charging them, foolishly, we weren’t charging them,” he said, adding that India was pouring its products into the US.
“They’d send it in, pour it into our country. Therefore it wouldn’t be made here, which is a negative, but we would not send in anything because they were charging us 100 per cent tariffs,” Trump said.
The US president cited the example of the Harley Davidson motorcycles, saying the company couldn’t sell into India because there was a 200 per cent tariff on a motorcycle.
“So what happens? Harley Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant, and now they don’t have to pay tariffs, same thing as us,” he said.
On Monday, Trump claimed that India has now “offered” to cut its tariffs to nothing, “but it’s getting late”, as he said that India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia and very little from the US.
The Trump administration has imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India and an additional 25 per cent levies for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties imposed on India to 50 per cent, with effect from August 27.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted he can’t compromise on the interests of farmers, cattle-rearers, small-scale industries, cautioning “pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it”.
India has called the tariffs imposed by the US “unjustified and unreasonable”.
New Delhi said that, like any major economy, it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
In 2024-25, the bilateral trade in goods between the two countries stood at USD 131.8 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports and USD 45.3 billion imports).
