US President Donald Trump reiterated his criticism of India’s high tariffs while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “great friend” and a “very smart man.” Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump expressed optimism that ongoing trade talks between the two nations would lead to positive outcomes, despite his administration’s push for reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods.
“Prime Minister Modi was here recently, and we’ve always been great friends. India is one of the highest-tariffing nations in the world… They’re very smart,” Trump remarked. “He is a very smart man and a great friend of mine. We had very good talks, and I think it’s going to work out very well between India and our country. I want to say you have a great prime minister.” His comments come amid rising trade tensions, with the US preparing to impose reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including India, over what Trump has called unfair trade practices.
Trump has often criticized India’s trade policies, previously labeling the country the “tariff king” and describing its import duties as “very unfair and strong.” He further added, “I have a very good relationship with India, but the only issue I have is that they’re one of the highest-tariffing nations in the world. I believe they’ll likely lower those tariffs substantially, but on April 2, we will be charging them the same tariffs they charge us.”
The president also accused India of restrictive trade practices, stating, “You can’t sell anything into India; it’s almost restrictive. They have agreed, by the way, that they want to cut their tariffs significantly now because somebody is finally exposing them for what they’ve been doing.”
Since February, India has made significant moves to strengthen trade relations with the US in an effort to ease tariff tensions. New Delhi has committed to increasing energy imports from the US to USD 25 billion, up from USD 15 billion last year.
In response to Trump’s criticism, India has taken steps to reduce tariffs on key imports. The country has slashed duties on bourbon whisky from 150% to 100%, and the February budget included reductions in basic customs duties on luxury cars, solar cells, and machinery, lowering peak import tariffs to 70% and average tariffs to under 11%.
Additionally, Trump announced that India could soon acquire F-35 stealth fighters, signaling a broader partnership between the two nations, with Washington positioning itself as a major supplier of oil, gas, and military equipment to India.
