U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a strong stance against India’s high trade tariffs, declaring that the United States will impose reciprocal levies. Speaking at a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, Trump expressed frustration over the difficulties American businesses face when entering the Indian market.
“We are right now a reciprocal nation,” Trump stated. “Whatever another country charges, we’re charging them. So it’s called reciprocal, which I think is a very fair way.”
Trump highlighted the challenges of selling American products in India due to trade barriers and high tariffs. “I had discussions with India in the first term about the fact that their tariffs were very high,” he said. “And I was unable to get a concession. So we’re just going to do it the easy way.”
The meeting followed Trump’s signing of a presidential memorandum on the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan,” aiming to impose equivalent tariffs on U.S. trading partners. The White House released examples of what it considers unfair trade practices, mentioning India’s average Most Favored Nation tariff of 39 percent.
In addition to trade talks, Trump announced plans to boost military sales to India. “Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars,” he revealed. “We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters.”
Though details and timelines were not specified, reports indicate that India has agreed to purchase over $20 billion worth of U.S. defense products since 2008.
Energy trade was also a focal point, with Trump noting that Modi has agreed to buy more U.S. oil and gas, potentially making the United States India’s “number one supplier.”
Ahead of the visit, India offered concessions to ease trade tensions, including lowering tariffs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Prime Minister Modi emphasized the importance of strengthening economic ties, saying, “We have also set ourselves the target of more than doubling our bilateral trade to attain $500 billion by 2030.”
The discussion between the two leaders signifies a critical moment in U.S.-India relations, with potential impacts on global trade dynamics.
