US President Donald Trump has, once again, said that India charges heavy tariffs which is the reason why the US hiked duties on Indian imports. In a post on TruthSocial, he claimed that India has now "offered" to cut its tariffs to nothing, “but it’s getting late”, as he said that India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia and very little from the US.
“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us. In other words, they sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest ‘client,’ but we sell them very little—until now a totally one-sided relationship, and it has been for many decades,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
He further added that high tariffs imposed by India have prevented US businesses from selling goods there. “It has been a totally one-sided disaster! Also, India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the U.S. They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago. Just some simple facts for people to ponder!!!”
He further added that high tariffs imposed by India have prevented US businesses from selling goods there, resulting in what he called a “totally one-sided disaster.”
Trump also noted that India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia and very little from the US.
He, however, further added that India has now offered to cut its tariffs to zero, but said the move is long overdue.
“They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago. Just some simple facts for people to ponder!!!,” he said.
Trump’s comments come as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pressed his vision for a new global security and economic order that prioritises the "Global South", in a direct challenge to the United States, during a summit that included the leaders of Russia and India.
"We must continue to take a clear stand against hegemonism and power politics, and practise true multilateralism," Xi said, in a thinly veiled swipe at the United States and President Donald Trump's tariff policies.
In an image, Putin and Modi were shown holding hands as they walked jovially towards Xi before the summit opened. The three men stood shoulder-to-shoulder, laughing and surrounded by interpreters.
After the summit, Modi shared a ride with Putin in the Russian leader’s armoured Aurus limousine en route to their bilateral meeting.
"Conversations with him are always insightful," Modi wrote on X. At the bilateral meeting, Putin addressed Modi in Russian as "Dear Mr Prime Minister, dear friend."
China and India are the biggest buyers of crude oil from Russia, the world's second largest exporter. Trump has imposed additional tariffs on India over the purchases but not on China.
The Trump administration has imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India and an additional 25 per cent levies for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties imposed on India to 50 per cent, among the highest in the world.
India has called the tariffs imposed by the US “unjustified and unreasonable”.
New Delhi said that, like any major economy, it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
Prime Minister Modi has asserted he can't compromise on the interests of farmers, cattle-rearers, small-scale industries, cautioning "pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it".
US-India partnership reaching new heights: Embassy
The India-US partnership continues to reach new heights, the US embassy said in a surprise social media post on Monday, hours before Trump's post, amid the ties between the two countries reeling under possibly the worst phase in two decades over the Trump administration's policies on trade and tariff.
The post comes on a day there was visible bonhomie among Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin.
A photo of PM Modi engaging in a warm exchange with Xi and Putin even went viral on social media.
"The partnership between the United States and India continues to reach new heights -- a defining relationship of the 21st century. This month, we're spotlighting the people, progress, and possibilities driving us forward," the US embassy here said in the post.
"From innovation and entrepreneurship to defense and bilateral ties, it's the enduring friendship between our two peoples that fuels this journey. Follow the hashtag and be a part of #USIndiaFWDforOurPeople," it said.