New Delhi faces the measure if a trade deal is not reached, the US president has said
US President Donald Trump has warned of tariffs of up to 25% on imports from India if the two countries are unable to reach a trade agreement.
In a conversation with the press on board Air Force One on Tuesday, Trump said a deal has not been reached between India and the US, ahead of the August 1 deadline.
“India has been a good friend but India has charged basically more tariffs than almost any other country over the years,” Trump told a reporter.
The US imposed 26% tariffs on Indian goods in March as part of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, which included imports of aluminum, steel, and derivative products, before temporarily suspending them.
New Delhi previously said it would enter into a trade agreement with the US, but from a position of strength and not under deadlines or as a “negotiation tool.”
❗️Trump Thinks US Will Impose 20-25% Tariffs on India, but “Deal is Not Finalised”
“India has been a good friend but India has charged more tariffs than almost any other country over the years,” Trump told reporters aboard AF1 – shortly after claiming once again that he “stopped… pic.twitter.com/tK6N9KPGBJ
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, bilateral trade between India and the US reached $131.8 billion, with a trade surplus of $41.18 billion for New Delhi, according to the Indian Commerce Ministry.
Aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, Trump said he has been responsible for “a lot of great settlements” of conflicts, including the South Asian conflict as well as the recent border clash between Thailand and Cambodia. “I did a good job in about five different wars. You think I’ll get credit for it? No,” he added.
A few hours earlier, Modi refuted Trump’s claim that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. “No world leader asked India to stop its military operation,” he said in the lower house of parliament.
While rejecting Trump’s claims, Modi said US Vice President J.D. Vance tried to call him several times. “I missed the US vice president’s calls,” he said. “And when I called him back, he said Pakistan is planning a major attack. And I told him if Pakistan attacks India, our attack would be much bigger as we will respond to bullets with cannons.”
