Key points
- US facing unfair tariffs: Trump
- Reiterates this must change
- Trump links tariffs to fentanyl, overdose deaths
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump singled out India during the first address of his second term in a joint session of Congress, saying, “India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent”.
United States President Donald Trump defended his harsh tariff policy, reiterating that the US has been facing high tariffs from several countries across the world, including India.
He warned that if manufacturers don’t make their products in America under the Trump administration, they will pay a tariff, and in some cases, a rather large one. “Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries,” Trump said during his address.
President Donald Trump Tuesday delayed new tariffs on automobiles, but other tariffs against goods from Canada, China and Mexico are now in effect.
Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries.” – US President Donald Trump
Trump continues to link these tariffs to fentanyl and overdose deaths, including in his speech to Congress last night and again on social media today.
But many of his statements about the fentanyl crisis are not true, according to American public broadcasting organisation National Public Radio.
Trump listed out countries that he said charge the US a “tremendous” amount of tariffs, which included India.
“It’s very unfair”
“On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada …have you heard of them? And countless other nations charge us tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them,” Trump said.
“It’s very unfair,” he added.
Singling out India during the speech, Trump said, “India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent.”
“China’s average tariff on our products is twice what we charge them and South Korea’s average tariff is four times higher,” he further said.
Trump announced that the United States will impose reciprocal tariffs on several nations, starting April 2 and not April 1, since he didn’t want it to coincide with “April Fools Day”.
