Trump Says US-India Ties Improving, But Calls Past Trade Relationship "One-Sided":

Washington, D.C. – Former U.S. President Donald Trump has said that while the United States enjoys a good relationship with India, the trade ties between the two countries were "one-sided" for many years, with India imposing "tremendous tariffs" on American products. Speaking at the White House, Trump was asked whether he was considering lifting some of the tariffs on Indian goods. In response, he acknowledged the strong diplomatic relationship between the two nations but criticized the historical trade imbalance. "We get along with India very well," Trump said. "But for many years, the relationship was one-sided. India was charging us some of the highest tariffs in the world." He argued that the U.S. had not been doing significant business with India because of these high tariffs, while Indian products continued to flow into the American market with relatively low trade barriers. "They were sending their goods into our country, but we weren't sending much to them because of the 100% tariffs they imposed on us," he said. "We weren’t charging them — foolishly — so they benefited much more." Citing Harley-Davidson as an example, Trump pointed out that the iconic American motorcycle company faced a 200% tariff in India, making it nearly impossible to compete in the Indian market. As a result, the company set up a manufacturing plant in India to avoid the high import duties. "Now they don’t have to pay tariffs because they’re making the bikes there — same thing as us," Trump said. During his presidency, Trump frequently pushed for more balanced trade agreements and often criticized what he saw as unfair treatment of the U.S. by trading partners, including India.

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