News Brief

Trump Says US Gets Along With India But Calls Trade Relationship One-Sided For Years, Citing "Tremendous Tariffs"

Arzoo Yadav

Sep 03, 2025, 04:23 PM | Updated 04:22 PM IST


US President Donald Trump (File Photo)
US President Donald Trump (File Photo)

United States President Donald Trump has said that the US maintains a positive relationship with India, but he criticised the trade balance between the two nations, calling it "one-sided," reported NDTV.

He made these remarks at the White House on Tuesday (2 September) while responding to a question about potential tariff reductions on Indian goods.

"We get along with India very well," he said.

Trump claimed that for many years, the dynamic favored India and New Delhi was imposing what he described as "tremendous tariffs" on American products.

Trump asserted that America's trade relationship with India changed when he took office.

He explained, "India was charging us tremendous tariffs, about the highest in the world," which he believed hindered US business with the country.

"But they were doing business with us because we weren't charging them, foolishly, we weren't charging them," he added.

"They'd send it in, pour it into our country. Therefore it wouldn't be made here, which is a negative, but we would not send in anything because they were charging us 100 per cent tariffs," Trump said.

He cited the example of Harley Davidson motorcycles, which faced a 200 per cent tariff in India.

This high tariff led the company to build a manufacturing plant in India, allowing them to circumvent the duties.

"Harley Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant, and now they don't have to pay tariffs, same thing as us," he added.

Please click here to add Swarajya as your preferred and trusted news source on Google.

Also Read: With Prime Minister Modi Drawing Red Line On Agriculture And Dairy, Trump Administration Defers August Trade Talks


Get Swarajya in your inbox.


Magazine


image
States