‘India kills us with tariffs’: Trump defends 50% levy, again claims New Delhi offered ‘no tariffs’

Trump underscored that his decision to levy tariffs had forced countries such as India to make concessions.

“I understood tariffs better than any human being in the world. And now with my tariffs, they were all dropping them. India was the most highly tariffed nation… And you know what, they’ve offered me no tariffs in India anymore. No tariffs,” Trump said.

“If I didn’t have tariffs, they would never make that offer. They would never make that offer. So you have to have tariffs. We’re going to be economically strong,” he added.

Trump’s defence of his administration’s tariff action comes in the backdrop of a US federal appeals court ruling most of the levies ‘illegal’. Trump said that the court case is sponsored by other nations because they’re taking advantage of us, and added that “…they’re not going to take advantage anymore”.

While responding to a reporter later in the day, who asked whether the US President is interested in taking away some of the tariffs imposed on India, Trump said the “United States gets along with India very well but for many years it was a one-sided relationship…India was charging us tremendous tariffs, the highest in the world.”

Citing an example of Harley Davidson, Trump said the US motorcycle company wasn’t able to sell in India due to a 200% tariff on a motorcycle. The US president added, “So what happens? Harley Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant. Now they don’t have to pay tariffs.”

Trump said India was doing business with the United States “because we weren’t charging them, foolishly, we weren’t charging them,” adding that India was then pouring its products in America.

“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% tariffs,” Trump said.

The US President had Monday claimed that India “offered” to cut its tariffs to nothing, “but it’s getting late” as New Delhi purchases most of its oil and military equipment from Russia and very little from America.

In a post shared by US Vice President JD Vance on social media, Trump had said: “It has been a totally one sided disaster! Also, India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the US. They have now offered to cut their Tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago. Just some simple facts for people to ponder!!!”

With inputs from PTI

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