Daijiworld Media Network – New York
New York, Mar 21: US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his commitment to imposing reciprocal tariffs on India, even as he expressed confidence that New Delhi would significantly lower its trade barriers.
In a recent interview with conservative outlet Breitbart, Trump remarked, "I believe they are going to be lowering those tariffs substantially. But come April 2, we will charge them the same tariffs they impose on us."
Trump, who has often criticized India's trade policies, reiterated his stance, calling the country "one of the highest tariffing nations in the world." He specifically pointed to tariffs on motorcycles, luxury cars, and whiskey as areas of concern.
His remarks come amid discussions on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a multi-nation trade initiative proposed at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi. The project, which includes India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and key European nations, aims to enhance trade connectivity across land and sea routes. Trump described it as ‘a group of wonderful nations countering countries that hurt us on trade’, likely alluding to China.
In response to mounting US pressure, Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced tariff reductions, cutting duties on luxury cars from 125% to 70% and on high-end motorcycles from 50% to 40%. Meanwhile, commerce minister Piyush Goyal visited Washington for trade discussions with US officials in an effort to prevent further tariff escalations.
The US has also pushed India to ease restrictions on agricultural imports. Trump, in his interview, hinted at caution in India’s trade relations with the European Union. He criticized the EU's treatment of the US in trade matters, remarking, "The ones that would not be as friendly to us sometimes treat us better than those who are supposed to be our allies."
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s recent visit to New Delhi saw both sides pledging to expedite a free trade agreement by year-end. However, Trump’s scepticism toward the EU remains unchanged, reiterating his past claim that the bloc ‘was formed in order to screw the United States’.