India World’s “highest taxing nations”, says Trump
AGENCIES / WASHINGTON
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US President Donald Trump has claimed that India charges US over 100 per cent tariffs on a large number of products while the US imposes nothing on the similar or same items. He urged asked his administration to work on the “stupid trade”.
His statement came days after he criticised India, saying it is one of the world’s “highest taxing nations”.
The US President has repeatedly claimed that India is a “tariff king” and imposes “tremendously high” tariffs on American products.
“We have a case where a certain country,” he said, and added, after a dramatic pause, to laughter, “India.”
Addressing the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas on Saturday, Trump said: “We have a case where a certain country, India, is charging us… what great country, a great friend, Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi — charging us over 100 per cent for many things”.
The United States, he said, is charging India “nothing for similar or same” products. In his speech, Trump indicated that he is receiving resistance from Senators for imposing reciprocal tariff on India.
He cited India as a country other than China which imposes high tariffs on American products.
India, he alleged, continues to wage “stupid trade” and unfair trade practices, and called out PM Modi for the trade imbalance with the US.
“I have Senators who say, you can’t do that. It’s not free trade. When did they come from? Where did they come from? It’s not free trade,” he said, ramping up his rhetoric against India’s trade and tariff policies.
He asked his senior administration officials to work on this.
“Will you please work on them? It’s the craziest thing. It’s a stupid trade. We have so much stupid trade,” Trump said.
He said that as a result of such trades, the US has lost for many years now — USD 800 billion a year on trade.
“Who the hell makes these deals? Those are not good negotiators. Actually, Democrats made a lot of them though. But Republicans met a lot of up too, that’s the amazing thing. They made USD 800 billion. But we’re getting it back. We”ll get to give back. We’re going to be getting a lot of it.
According to Hindustan times, the American president has threatened to hit India with reciprocal taxes before, specially on motorcycles. He has complained about India levying 100% tariff on Harley-Davidson motorcycles imported from the United States, whereas the United States charges nothing on motorcycles it imports from India.
India has since cut duty on these motorcycle imports to 50%. But Trump continues to use the 100% figure as he did past Tuesday, April 2, when he also called India “one of the highest taxing nations in the world”.
“They charge us 100% tariff on goods. So they send a motorcycle–and they make a lot of them- Indian cycles,” Trump said at the annual spring dinner of the National Republican Congressional Committee.