President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose retaliatory taxes on countries like India and Brazil, accusing them of imposing “high tariffs” on certain American products. Speaking to reporters on December 16, Trump emphasized the principle of reciprocity, stating, “If they tax us, we tax them the same amount. They tax us, we tax them. Almost all the time, they’re taxing us, but we haven’t been taxing them.”

When asked about a potential trade deal with China, Trump specifically mentioned India and Brazil as countries that impose high tariffs on U.S. products, indicating plans to retaliate. The remarks were made during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Trump further explained, “The word ‘reciprocal’ is important. If India charges us 100% on certain goods, should we charge them nothing in return? They send us a bicycle, we send them a bicycle. They charge us 100 or 200 percent. India charges a lot. Brazil charges a lot. If they want to impose these charges, that’s fine, but we will charge them the same,” Trump said.

Trump’s Commerce Secretary nominee, Howard Lutnick, echoed this stance, stressing that “reciprocity” would be a key focus of the Trump administration. “How you treat us is how you should expect to be treated,” Lutnick added.

On December 17, Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State, spoke about the India-U.S. relationship under the outgoing Biden administration, describing it as being “in a very strong place.” He expressed confidence that this momentum would continue under Trump’s presidency, highlighting key areas of collaboration, including space exploration. “We are confident that we are handing off the bilateral relationship at its strongest possible point, with vital support from sectors like industry, technology, finance, and defense,” Campbell said.