WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 26: U.S. President Donald Trump calls on a reporter throughout a cupboard assembly with members of his administration within the Cupboard Room of the White Home on August 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. That is the seventh cupboard assembly of Trump’s second time period. (Photograph by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures)
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Pictures Information | Getty Pictures
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his criticism of India, calling commerce ties with the nation “a completely one sided catastrophe!” after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Group summit.
Trump in a publish on Reality Social additionally mentioned that India had supplied to chop its tariffs to zero, however it was “getting late,” and that the nation ought to have carried out so “years in the past,” with out elaborating on when such a suggestion was made.
This comes towards the backdrop of the U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on the nation, together with secondary duties of 25% final month for buying Russian oil, which India has known as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
Trump reiterated that India was shopping for oil and arms from Russia, and accused New Delhi of promoting the U.S. “large quantities of products,” however imposing excessive tariffs on U.S. exports to India.
“The reason being that India has charged us, till now, such excessive Tariffs, essentially the most of any nation, that our companies are unable to promote into India. It has been a completely one sided catastrophe!” he wrote.
Knowledge from the World Commerce Group reveals that India imposed a 6.2% common tariff on U.S. imports into the nation in 2024, on a trade-weighted foundation, whereas U.S. levied 2.4% on Indian items. The trade-weighted common is the typical charge of responsibility per imported worth unit.
The U.S.-India relations have soured over the previous couple of months, upending greater than 20 years of bettering ties, with a number of U.S. officers growing their criticism of New Delhi over its Russian oil imports. India has known as out the U.S. and European Union for his or her commerce with Russia, whereas focusing on New Delhi.
India’s international ministry final month mentioned “it’s revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in commerce with Russia. Not like our case, such commerce isn’t even a significant nationwide compulsion [for them].”
Again in Might, India had reportedly supplied a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal on metal, auto parts and prescription drugs on a reciprocal foundation, as much as a sure amount of imports. Nevertheless, each New Delhi and Washington failed to return to a commerce deal, main Trump to impose 50% tariffs on Indian exports.
India’s Modi met Chinese language President Xi Jinping on the SCO summit in Tianjin held between between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, with each side affirming the significance of being companions, not rivals.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday performed down the concept that U.S. tariffs have been bringing international locations like China and India nearer collectively, describing the SCO summit as “performative,” in accordance with Reuters.
Consultants have mentioned that the bettering relations between New Delhi and Beijing would profit the 2 international locations, however have solid doubt over them changing into shut companions resulting from long-standing disputes.
“The advance of relations with India is an enormous deal. It permits India to entry extremely vital mental property that it wants whether it is to industrialize and enhance manufacturing,” Marko Papic, chief strategist, GeoMacro Technique BCA Entry, mentioned in an e-mail.
“However, over the long run, the U.S. is shedding the propaganda battle to color China because the trouble-maker-in-chief. And that solely additional ossifies multipolarity,” he mentioned.
— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.
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