US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that India offered him a “no tariff” deal, while defending his decision to impose a 50 per cent levy on Indian goods.
In a telephonic interview on The Scott Jennings Radio Show, Trump said he “understands tariffs better than anyone” and accused India of being the “most tariffed nation” in the world.
“China kills us with tariffs, India kills us with tariffs, Brazil kills us with tariffs. … India was the most highly tariffed nation in the world, and you know what, they’ve offered me no tariffs anymore. No tariffs. If I didn’t have tariffs, they would never make that offer,” Trump said.
This follows his earlier remarks on Monday, when he described US-India trade ties as a “totally one-sided disaster,” alleging that New Delhi sold massive amounts of goods to America while buying very little in return. He added that India has now offered to cut tariffs “to nothing, but it’s getting late.”
The comments come as global markets watch closely after Washington imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, with an additional 25 per cent linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
Trump’s approach has drawn criticism at home. A US appeals court recently ruled the tariffs “illegal,” while former NSA Jake Sullivan accused Trump of jeopardising ties with India for personal business interests linked to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Mukesh Aghi, President of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), suggested that not all of Trump’s statements should be taken at face value, noting that “some may have substance and some may not.”
