Washington: US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that New Delhi offered him a “no tariff” deal, defending his decision to impose a 50 per cent levy on Indian goods.
In a phone interview on The Scott Jennings Radio Show, Trump asserted that he understands tariffs better than anyone and criticized India, which he described as the “most tariffed nation” in the world.
“China kills us with tariffs, India kills us with tariffs, Brazil kills us with tariffs. I’ve understood tariffs better than they did; I understood tariffs better than any human being in the world. India was the most highly tariffed nation, and now they’ve offered me no tariffs in India anymore. No tariffs. If I didn’t have tariffs, they would never make that offer. So you have to have tariffs,” Trump said.
This is not the first time Trump has referenced a “no tariff deal.” On Monday, he called the US-India business relationship a “totally one-sided disaster,” adding that India had now offered to cut its tariffs to zero, though “it’s getting late.”
“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us. They sell us massive amounts of goods, yet we sell them very little. This has been a totally one-sided relationship for decades. The reason: India charged us the highest tariffs of any country, preventing our businesses from entering their market,” he said.
He further noted, “India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the U.S. They’ve now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but this should have happened years ago. Just some simple facts for people to ponder.”
India faces global uncertainty amid heightened economic tensions after the US imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, with an additional 25 per cent levy linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
However, Trump has faced criticism at home, as a US appeals court recently ruled the tariffs “illegal.”
Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan accused Trump of “throwing away” US-India ties over Pakistan’s willingness to do business with the Trump family.
“The US has worked to build a relationship with India, a country we should be aligned with on technology, talent, economics, and strategic issues, including countering China. Now, because of Pakistan’s dealings with the Trump family, Trump has sidelined India. Other countries, like Germany or Japan, may look at this and think, ‘That could be us tomorrow.’ America’s friends will question whether they can rely on us,” Sullivan told MeidasTouch.
Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), also suggested that some of Trump’s claims may lack substance.
“There are certain comments the President makes that need to be taken with varying degrees of weight. When something appears on Truth Social or Twitter, some may have substance, and some may not. The people of India are mature and will make decisions in the country’s best interest,” Aghi said.
