US President Donald Trump has once again reiterated his stance on imposing reciprocal tariffs on trading partners, including India and China. His statement came just hours before his scheduled bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding a new layer of significance to their discussions.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trump emphasized that his administration was preparing to implement tariffs that mirror those imposed by other countries on US exports. “We’ll soon impose reciprocal tariffs because that means, they charge us, we charge them. It’s very simple. Whatever a country like India or China charges us, we want to be fair and charge them the same in return,” Trump stated.
This is not the first time Trump has made such remarks about India’s trade policies. During a joint interview with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk last week, he said he had made it clear to PM Modi that India would not be exempt from Washington’s tariff policies. “I told Prime Minister Modi yesterday—he was here—’Here’s what we’re going to do: reciprocal. Whatever you charge, I’m charging,'” Trump said, underscoring his commitment to trade fairness.
Trump, known for his blunt and often dramatic rhetoric, even joked about his fondness for tariffs, noting that while it was once his “favorite word,” it now ranks fourth after “family,” “love,” and “God.” “I think, let’s put God first. You know why? Because we don’t want to take any chances,” he quipped.
The announcement comes amid longstanding trade tensions between the US and India. During his first term in office, Trump had labeled India the “tariff king” and took measures to curtail its trade benefits with the US. In May 2019, he terminated India’s preferential market access under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), arguing that India had not provided equitable and reasonable access to its markets for American businesses.
The prospect of reciprocal tariffs could have significant implications for India-US trade relations. While both nations have sought to strengthen their economic ties, tariff disputes remain a contentious issue. The upcoming meeting between Trump and Modi is expected to address these concerns, potentially shaping the future of trade policies between the two economic giants.
