US President declared that the two countries’ trade ties had been “totally one-sided” for many years…reports Asian Lite News
Days after announcing punitive tariffs on Indian imports, United States President Donald Trump has doubled down on his decision, insisting that the trade relationship between Washington and New Delhi has been unfair to American businesses for decades. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, the President argued that India had long imposed some of the world’s highest tariffs on foreign goods, leaving the United States at a severe disadvantage.
The fresh comments come in the wake of a 50 per cent tariff imposed on Indian imports, with an additional 25 per cent penalty introduced due to India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil. The measures, part of Trump’s broader protectionist economic agenda, have rattled policymakers in New Delhi and heightened uncertainty in the global trading environment.
Defending the tariffs, Trump declared that the two countries’ trade ties had been “totally one-sided” for many years. “We get along with India very well,” he said. “But India, for many years, it was a one-sided relationship. India was charging us tremendous tariffs. They were the highest in the world. And we, therefore, were not doing business with India, but they were doing business with us because we weren’t charging them foolishly.”
The President accused India of exploiting American openness, claiming that Indian companies had poured their goods into the US market while American firms found themselves locked out. “They sent in everything they made and poured it into the country,” he said, “but we would not send in anything, as they were charging us with 100 per cent tariffs.”
Trump used the US motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson to illustrate his point. The firm, he said, had been unable to sell in India because of a 200 per cent import tariff. “Harley Davidson couldn’t sell in India, as there was a 200 per cent tariff on a motorcycle,” he remarked. “Harley Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant, and now they don’t have to pay tariffs.”
While the example echoes longstanding grievances from the Trump administration, industry analysts note that Harley Davidson’s struggles in India also stemmed from weak demand and competition from cheaper, locally produced bikes. The company eventually shut down its Bawal plant in 2020 after failing to capture significant market share.
The President’s remarks also touched upon his wider trade policies, particularly his use of tariffs to encourage foreign manufacturers to build in the United States. He said thousands of companies, especially carmakers from China, Mexico, and Canada, were now choosing to shift production to the US.
“Now thousands of companies are coming into the US,” Trump said. “Traditionally, car companies… They are coming from China, Mexico, Canada. They want to build here because, number one, they like to be here, and number two, the tariffs are protecting them. And number three, they want to avoid paying tariffs. When you build their cars here, you don’t have any tariffs.”
The strategy is consistent with Trump’s longstanding “America First” approach, which prioritises domestic manufacturing and seeks to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign goods.
The White House remarks followed an earlier post by Mr Trump on Truth Social, where he branded the trade relationship with India “a one-sided disaster.” In the post, he accused India of charging the US “the most of any country” in tariffs, leaving American businesses unable to compete.
“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us,” he wrote. “In other words, they sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest client, but we sell them very little. Until now a totally one-sided relationship, and it has been for many decades.”
He also criticised India’s reliance on Russian energy and defence imports. “India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the US,” he added. “They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago.”
The escalation in rhetoric has placed New Delhi in a difficult position. India has sought closer economic ties with the United States in recent years, while simultaneously maintaining its longstanding defence and energy partnerships with Russia. The latest tariffs threaten to disrupt Indian exports to the world’s largest economy, hitting sectors from textiles to machinery.
Economic observers warn that the combined effect of the 50 per cent tariff, compounded by the additional 25 per cent penalty linked to Russian crude purchases, could significantly affect India’s growth outlook. For a country already navigating volatile oil markets and inflationary pressures, the prospect of restricted access to the US market presents a major challenge.
While the Indian government has yet to issue a formal response to Trump’s latest remarks, officials in New Delhi are reportedly weighing their options. Analysts suggest that retaliatory tariffs or a World Trade Organisation challenge could be considered, though both carry risks.
The broader concern is the impact on global trade stability. Trump’s renewed focus on tariffs, not only with India but also with other major economies, threatens to deepen existing fractures in the international trading system. With protectionism rising worldwide, the world’s two largest democracies could find themselves in a prolonged dispute just as they seek to balance geopolitical tensions in Asia and beyond. For now, Trump appears determined to stand by his stance. As he told reporters at the White House: “Just some simple facts for people to ponder.”
