White House trade advisor Peter Navarro has renewed his criticism of India, questioning why Americans are paying for Artificial Intelligence in India.
Navarro’s comments on Saturday came amid a strain in India-US ties, which began after US President Donald Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on New Delhi, including a 25 per cent additional duty for its purchase of Russian crude oil.
In an interview on Real America’s Voice, Navarro said, “…It’s like, why are Americans paying for AI in India? Chat GPT (is) operating on US soil, using American electricity, servicing large users of Chat GPT, for example, in India and China and elsewhere around the world. So that's another issue that's got to be dealt with."
His remarks come as ties between New Delhi and Washington are reeling over multiple issues apart from tariffs, including Trump’s claim of ending the India-Pakistan conflict in May last year and Washington’s new immigration policy.
Last year, Navarro repeatedly criticised India for its purchases of Russian oil and high tariffs, calling India the “Maharajah of tariffs.”
He had also termed India’s purchases of Russian oil as “blood money” and noted that Delhi did not buy oil from Moscow in large quantities before the Ukraine conflict.
New Delhi has maintained that, like any major economy, it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
In a wider attack on BRICS nations, Navarro said the “bottom line” is that none of the countries in the grouping can “survive if they don't sell to the United States. And when they sell to the United States, their exports, they're like vampires sucking our blood dry with their unfair trade practices."
