Even As India Lowers Customs Duty On High-End Imported Motorcycles To 50 Per Cent, Trump Wants More

United States (US) President Donald Trump raked up the issue of high import duties on Harley Davidson motorcycles in India for the second time in a month, even as India cut down the customs duty on the high end bikes to 50 per cent earlier, Times of India has reported.

Although praising Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi as a ‘fantastic man’, he said that the US gets ‘zero’ when it buys an Indian motorcycle, referring to his conversation with PM Modi.

"Now, the prime minister, who I think is a fantastic man, called me the other day and said we are lowering it to 50 per cent. I said okay, but so far we're getting nothing. So we get nothing. He gets 50 (per cent), and they think we're doing -- like they're doing us a favour. That's not a favour," said Trump at a gathering of the governors at the White House.

“What do I say? Am I supposed to be thrilled? And that's not good for you people, especially as governors. It's just not right. And we have many deals like that,” he added.

India had earlier slashed the customs duty on high end bikes to 50 per cent from the earlier 60 per cent for bikes with capacity lesser than 800cc and 75 per cent for bikes with capacities higher than 800 cc.

He also added that the US wants fair and reciprocal trade deals, stressing on the fact that India sells a lot of motobikes in the US.