Speaking at the White House on Tuesday (local time), US President Donald Trump again defended 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports, saying trade ties with India had long been “one-sided,” even as he added that New Delhi and Washington were getting along “very well.”
Responding to questions about whether he might reconsider the tariffs, Trump maintained that India had imposed some of the highest duties in the world, leaving US companies unable to compete. “For many years, it was a one-sided relationship. India was charging us tremendous tariffs, they were the highest in the world,” he said. According to him, Indian goods entered the US market freely, but American exports were blocked by duties that reached as high as 100 per cent. “They sent in everything they made and poured it into the country, while we would not send in anything,” Trump added.