“Can’t Sell Anything In India”: Trump Again Slams India Over “Massive Tariffs”

US President reiterates criticism of India’s trade policies, claims India has agreed to lower tariffs following US pressure.

March 8, 2025: “Can’t Sell Anything In India”: Trump Again Slams India Over “Massive Tariffs”

US President claims India has agreed to lower trade barriers amid escalating tariff tensions.

US President Donald Trump has once again taken aim at India’s trade policies, calling its tariffs “massive” and claiming that selling American goods in India is nearly impossible.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump repeated his criticism of India’s trade barriers, stating:

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“India charges us massive tariffs. Massive. You can’t even sell anything in India… They have agreed, by the way, they want to cut their tariffs way down now because somebody is finally exposing them for what they have done.”

Trump’s Push for “Reciprocal Tariffs”

Since taking office on January 20, 2025, Trump has been vocal about imposing tariffs on countries he believes have unfair trade practices, including India, China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.

During his first address to Congress in his second term, Trump reiterated his “America First” trade policy, stating:

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“Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries.”

He also specifically pointed out India’s tariffs on automobiles, which he claimed were over 100%, calling it “very unfair.”

April 2: The Deadline for “Reciprocal Tariffs”

Trump has set April 2 as the deadline for implementing new reciprocal tariffs, warning:

“An eye for an eye, a tariff for a tariff, same exact amount.”

His administration is currently reviewing trade relations with several nations, including India, to determine which tariffs to impose in response to perceived trade imbalances.

India-US Trade Relations: The Numbers

• The US’ total goods trade with India was $129.2 billion in 2024.
• US goods exports to India were $41.8 billion in the same year.
• The US trade deficit with India increased by 5.4% from 2023 to 2024, reaching $45.7 billion.

India’s Response: Has Modi Agreed to Reduce Tariffs?

During a joint press conference at the White House last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the ongoing trade discussions but did not explicitly commit to reducing tariffs.

Trump, however, insisted that India had been “very strong on tariffs” but is now reconsidering its stance.

“I don’t blame them necessarily, but it’s a different way of doing business. It’s very hard to sell into India because they have trade barriers, very strong tariffs,” he said.

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What’s Next?

• India has yet to officially confirm any tariff reductions following Trump’s remarks.
• US officials are expected to outline specific reciprocal tariff measures by April 2.
• The potential trade tensions could impact US-India relations and global economic stability.

With Trump ramping up trade pressure, all eyes will be on how India responds to the growing tariff battle with the United States.

Tags:

#DonaldTrump, #USIndiaTrade, #TariffWar, #TradeRelations, #GlobalEconomy, #IndiaTariffs, #ModiTrump, #USIndiaRelations, #ReciprocalTariffs, #EconomicPolicy