Trump Promises Fair Trade: Plans to Implement Reciprocal Tariffs on India
Mangalore Today News Network
Washington DC, February 22, 2025: US President Donald Trump announced on Friday his intention to implement reciprocal tariffs on countries including India and China, emphasizing that the United States will impose tariffs equivalent to those levied by these nations on American products.
Trump stated, “We will soon impose reciprocal tariffs — they charge us, we charge them. Whatever a company or a country, like India or China, charges us, we want to be fair; thus, reciprocal.”
He further explained, “We have never done that before. We were preparing to do it until Covid interrupted our plans.”
#WATCH | Washington | US President Donald Trump affirms, “… We will soon impose reciprocal tariffs—they charge us, we charge them. Whatever a company or a country, such as India or China, charges, we want to be fair; hence, reciprocal. We have never done that. We were getting… pic.twitter.com/8Q2XBETfxe
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2025
During a prior press conference, ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump remarked on India’s tariff framework, stating “they have the highest tariffs” making it challenging to conduct business there.
He commented on Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s discussion with PM Modi, saying, “They met. I presume he intends to operate in India. However, India is a tough market due to its tariffs. They impose the highest tariffs… It’s a difficult environment for business. I would assume he met with Modi because he’s passionate about the opportunity after all this time,” Trump noted.
In regard to reciprocal tariffs, Trump brought attention to India’s previous trade practices, recalling how Harley-Davidson motorcycles had to establish manufacturing plants overseas due to steep import duties.
“Typically, India ranks very high in tariffs. A few smaller nations might surpass it, but India’s tariffs are significant. I remember when Harley Davidson struggled to sell their bikes in India because the tax and tariff rates were exorbitant, requiring the company to build production facilities abroad,” he relayed, as reported by US Network Pool via Reuters.