Trump calls India-U.S. commerce relationship ‘a completely one sided catastrophe’

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 provided to chop its tariffs to zero, nevertheless it was “getting late,” and that the nation ought to have executed so “years in the past,” with out elaborating on when such a proposal was made.

This comes in opposition to 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 referred to 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, probably the most of any nation, that our companies are unable to promote into India. It has been a completely one sided catastrophe!” he wrote.

Information 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 price of responsibility per imported worth unit.

The U.S.-India relations have soured over the previous couple of months, upending greater than twenty years of enhancing ties, with a number of U.S. officers rising their criticism of New Delhi over its Russian oil imports. India has referred to as out the U.S. and European Union for their commerce with Russia, whereas concentrating on New Delhi.

India’s overseas ministry final month mentioned “it’s revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in commerce with Russia. In contrast to our case, such commerce is just not even an important nationwide compulsion [for them].”

Again in Could, India had reportedly provided a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal on metal, auto parts and prescribed drugs on a reciprocal foundation, as much as a sure amount of imports. Nonetheless, each New Delhi and Washington failed to come back 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 either 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 had been bringing international locations like China and India nearer collectively, describing the SCO summit as “performative,” based on Reuters.

Consultants have mentioned that the enhancing relations between New Delhi and Beijing would profit the 2 international locations, however have forged doubt over them changing into shut companions on account of long-standing disputes.

“The development of relations with India is a giant deal. It permits India to entry extremely important 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 dropping 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.