US President Donald Trump has once again asserted that New Delhi offered him a “no tariff” trade deal, defending his controversial decision to impose a 50 per cent levy on Indian goods.
In a phone interview on The Scott Jennings Radio Show, Trump doubled down on his belief that he understands tariffs “better than any human being,” while criticising India for being, in his words, “the most tariffed nation” in the world.
“China kills us with tariffs, India kills us with tariffs, Brazil kills us with tariffs,” Trump said. “India was the most highly tariffed nation in the world. And you know what, they’ve offered me no tariffs in India anymore. No tariffs. If I didn’t have tariffs, they would never make that offer. So you have to have tariffs.”
This was not the first time Trump made the claim. Earlier this week, he described the decades-long trade relationship between Washington and New Delhi as a “one-sided disaster.” He insisted that while India sells “massive amounts of goods” to the US, American businesses have struggled to gain a foothold in India due to what he called excessive tariffs.
“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us,” Trump said. “It has been a totally one-sided relationship, and it has been for many decades.”
He also argued that India’s close energy and defence ties with Russia have further complicated matters. “They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago,” Trump added.
Tariffs Declared Illegal in US
Trump’s stance has stirred controversy at home. A US appeals court recently ruled his tariff measures “illegal,” sparking criticism from political leaders.
Former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan accused Trump of undermining years of diplomatic efforts to strengthen ties with India, arguing that personal business interests may have influenced his decisions.
“The US has worked to build a relationship with India on technology, talent, and strategy,” Sullivan told MeidasTouch. “Now, I think because of Pakistan’s willingness to do business with the Trump family, Trump has thrown away India’s relationship on the side. Germany or Japan will look at that and say that could be us tomorrow.”
Mixed Reactions to Trump’s Claims
Mukesh Aghi, president and CEO of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), cautioned against taking Trump’s remarks at face value.
“There are certain comments that the President makes, and you have to take it with certain weightage or non-weightage,” Aghi said. “When a tweet comes out or something on Truth Social, some may have substance and some may not. The people of India are mature and they will do what is best for the country.”
