President Trump has criticized India for its unfair trade practices with the U.S., accusing the country of previously enforcing steep tariffs on U.S. imports while buying few American goods.
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That checks out, as the U.S. ran a $45.8 billion goods trade deficit and a $102 million services trade surplus with India last year.
“The reason is that India has charged us, until now, such high Tariffs, the most of any country, that our businesses are unable to sell into India,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. “It has been a totally one sided disaster!” Trump added that India purchases most of its oil from Russia, which was the reason he doubled tariffs on imported Indian goods to 50% last month.
India Offers to Slash U.S. Tariffs to Zero
In the same post, Trump said India “offered to cut their Tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago.” It’s not clear if he accepted the offer.
Trump’s aggressive stance comes amid growing concern over U.S. trade imbalances with key partners. By targeting India’s tariffs and oil purchases, he aims to pressure the country into leveling the playing field for American exporters. Analysts note that this move could further strain diplomatic relations while potentially leading India to deepen its economic ties with Russia and China.
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