We are being reciprocal with India, says Trump on tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his stance on tariff reciprocity during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasizing that the United States will match the tariffs imposed by other countries, including India, to ensure fair trade.

“We are, right now, a reciprocal nation. If it’s India or any other country with low tariffs, we are going to have the same. Whatever India charges, we will charge them. Whatever another country charges, we will charge them,” Trump stated.

However, the U.S. President highlighted that trade challenges with the European Union and China are more complex than those with India, citing high tariffs and unfair practices.

“The European Union is very difficult for us—very, very difficult. They tax our companies at levels that nobody has ever seen before. They take advantage of many things, and we are not happy about that,” he remarked.

On China, Trump asserted that his administration had taken a tougher stance than previous U.S. governments. “China, of course, is terrible. Before I became president, the U.S. had never taken in even 10 cents. Since my first term, we have collected hundreds of billions of dollars from China. We have to do that as a mechanism of fairness, and that’s exactly what I’ve done,” he stated.

Regarding India, Trump noted that discussions during his first term did not lead to tariff reductions. As a result, the U.S. has decided to adopt a direct reciprocal approach.

“We are being reciprocal with India. Whatever India charges, we will charge them. So, frankly, it no longer matters to us how high their tariffs are. I had discussions with India in my first term about their high tariffs, but I was unable to secure a concession,” he said.

“So, we are taking the easy route—whatever they charge, we charge. And I think that’s fair for the people of the United States,” he added.