WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that India has offered to reduce tariffs on US goods to zero, but argued the move comes “too late”, adding that New Delhi should have taken such a step years ago.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the trade relationship with India as “one-sided”.
He wrote: “They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago.”
The remarks came after Washington imposed duties of up to 50 percent on Indian goods last week. The tariffs, which Trump termed as punishment for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, have raised concerns about the future of US-India trade ties.
Trump has made tariffs a centrepiece of his second term, wielding them as a tool to reshape global trade.
Relations with India have been hit particularly hard, with New Delhi labelling the new levies “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.
Exporters in India’s textile, seafood and jewellery sectors have already reported cancelled orders from the US and losses to competitors in Bangladesh and Vietnam, sparking fears of job cuts.
The strain comes as Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At the meeting, President Xi pressed his vision for a new global order focused on the “Global South”, a message seen as a direct challenge to Washington.
Modi, visiting China for the first time in seven years, and Xi also agreed that their countries were “development partners, not rivals”, and discussed steps to improve trade ties.
Analysts warn that the 50 percent US duty amounts to a near trade embargo for some sectors, likely to inflict heavy losses on smaller Indian firms.
Trade negotiations between the two countries remain stalled, with agriculture and dairy markets a key sticking point.
Trump has pushed for greater American access, while Modi remains determined to protect India’s farmers, a politically powerful group.
Despite the tensions, the US was India’s largest export destination in 2024, with shipments valued at $87.3 billion, according to official data.
