Trump says India can’t avoid tariffs on Apr 2

[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump said India will be hit by like-for-like duties from Apr 2, even as officials in New Delhi scurry to appease Washington by reducing trade barriers.  

India is “one of the highest-tariffing nations in the world”, Trump said on Wednesday (Mar 19) in an interview with conservative media outlet Breitbart News. “I believe they’re going to probably (lower) those tariffs substantially, but on Apr 2, we will be charging them the same tariffs they charge us.”

While Trump has repeatedly indicated that the South Asian nation will not be spared on Apr 2, Indian officials have been striking a more optimistic tone. Piyush Goyal, the country’s commerce minister, visited the US earlier this month and said he had a “forward-looking discussion” with Trump officials on a trade deal that the two sides are hoping to seal by autumn. 

In recent weeks, India has lowered duties on imports of bourbon and high-end motorcycles, and also agreed to buy more energy and weapons from the US. Officials in New Delhi have been discussing reducing duties on a range of other products as well, including automobiles, some agricultural products, and chemicals, Bloomberg News reported.

The South Asian nation has also been banking on the friendly ties Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump have cultivated over the years. The Indian prime minister was among the first foreign leaders to visit Trump after his return to the White House, and lavished praises on the US president in a recent interview.

In the Breitbart News interview, Trump said he has a “very good relationship” with India, but stressed his “problem” with the country’s tariff structure. BLOOMBERG