Trump now accuses India of charging 100% tariff on US goods
27 Jun 2018
US President Donald Trump, obsessed with India’s import duties, has now accused the New Delhi of charging as high as 100-per cent tariff on import of American products. The President made the statement today, ahead of next week's maiden 2+2 dialogue with India.
Trump especially picked up India for criticism, saying the country charges as much as 100 per cent tariff on US products.
"We have countries where, as an example, India, they charge up as much as 100 per cent tariff. We want the tariffs removed," Trump said.
Trump was defending his decision to impose tariffs on import of products from some of America’s major trading partners, including China, the European Union and India. He said the US action is in retaliation to the imbalance of trade that these countries have created in their trade with the US.
India and the US will hold their first 2+2 dialogue next week. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be in the US for talks with their American counterparts secretary of state Mike Pompeo and defence secretary James Mattis.
Trump also recounted what happened at the G7 summit in Canada recently, saying that he had suggested lifting all tariff barriers, but no country was ready for that.
Speaking to reporters in the White House, Trump said many countries are negotiating with the US over tariff issues, adding that if some countries don't want to negotiate, then the US is free to impose tariffs.
Countries consider America their bank, he pointed out. But, he said, they all want to steal and plunder. We lost $500 billion with China $151 billion with European Union – all by erecting great barriers to bar US farmers. That can't be that way anymore, he said.
We can't sell farm products in most parts of the world and it is very hard to sell cars with such high tariffs, he said.