
Trump to Modi: ‘You’re not treating us right’ as US hits India with 26% tariff
Donald Trump on Wednesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a «great friend» while announcing a 26% tariff on Indian imports. However, he said, «You're a friend of mine, but you're not treating us right.» Trump claimed that the move was a «discounted reciprocal tariff» aimed at countering India's high duties on American goods.
Also Read: India to face 'discounted' 26% tariff from US; Trump slaps 34% on China
«India, very, very tough. Very, very tough. The Prime Minister just left. He's a great friend of mine, but I said, 'You're a friend of mine, but you're not treating us right.' They charge us 52 per cent. You have to understand, we charge them almost nothing, for years and years and decades,» Trump said, holding a chart listing countries and their tariff rates.
He argued that the US had long tolerated unfavourable trade terms and had only started imposing tariffs on China after he took office seven years ago. «It was only seven years ago, when I came in, we started with China and we took in hundreds of billions of dollars from China in tariffs,» he said.
The announcement comes just weeks after Modi’s visit to Washington, D.C., in February, less than a month after Trump began his second term in the White House. Trade tensions between the two countries have been a longstanding issue, with Trump previously calling India the «tariff king» and a «big abuser» in global trade.
Live Events
You Might Also Like:India imposes 'burdensome testing' across sectors, making it costly for US cos to sell their products: White House
During a joint press conference with Modi at the White House on February 13, Trump said, «India has been very strong on tariffs. I don't blame them, necessarily, but it's a different way of