Trump says India offered America “no tariffs”

London
Cnn
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President Donald Trump said on Thursday that India offered to remove tariffs in the United States as part of a potential trade agreement. If this fits, it could be a significant breakthrough in an increasingly important US trade partner.

“India is the highest – one of the highest customs covers in the world. It is very difficult to sell to India, and you have offered us a deal where you are basically willing not to ask us a tariff literally,” Trump said during a round table with business leaders in Doha, Qatar.

The President said that the India tariff “so high” that he prevents a lot of business between the two nations. The White House has long criticized the high tariffs of India, including 70% for cars, 20% for some networking devices, 80% for rice imports. It also punished India because of its non-tariff trading barriers, including stressful regulatory requirements for importers.

A zero tariff – if this is actually what India offers – would be a welcome change for US companies that want to export their goods into the most populous country in the world.

“(India) actually told us that I also assume (funding) Scott (better) … that there will be no tariff, right? Would you say that this is a difference? You are the highest and now you don't say a tariff,” said Trump.

The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry did not immediately answer a request for comments.

The United States will be the largest trading partner of India from 2024, but India refers to the list of US trading partners for the same year. The trade deficit between the USA and India has expanded. According to the US Census Bureau, the United States from India was imported from India more than in 2024.

India is one of several countries or trading blocks that try to die business with the USA after Trumps have increased clinging tariffs.

Trump imposed 10% to all goods imported into the USA and threatened to beat higher “mutual tariffs” at the beginning of July at ever higher prices for the nations. India sees a 26% “mutual tariff” on his goods that arrive in the USA.

Last week Trump achieved the first big victory in his trade war – a framework for future trade negotiations with Great Britain, which lowers some tariffs to London and opened the British market for more American goods.

And on Monday, the USA and China, to drastically reset the goods of the other in a period of 90 days in a surprising breakthrough between the two richest nations in the world.

When Trump announced the plans in February to reveal a package of mutual tariffs, he picked up India several times. In particular, the administration has questioned problems with added value and digital services in India and the growing deficit of trading in goods.

“They calculate more tariffs than any other country,” said Trump on February 13th. The comments came hours before he met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trump also spoke about India during his rose Garden “Liberation Day” on April 2. “India, very, very hard,” said Trump. He also mentioned that he told Modi when he met with him: “They don't treat us properly.”

The White House last month estimated that US exports to India would increase by at least 5.3 billion US dollars annually if India dropped its trade barriers -but it is unclear how the White House came to these numbers.

The USA deficit with India has almost doubled since Trump's first term, although this occurred when both countries roughly doubled the number of imported goods.

The top goods that the United States received from India last year included pharmaceuticals. Communication devices such as smartphones; And clothing. The best American exports to India were various oils and gases, chemicals and aerospace products and parts.