Washington/New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) US President Donald Trump has said that while he has a “very good relationship” with India, New Delhi is “one of the highest tariffing nations of the world” and he is going ahead with his reciprocal tariffs on India from April 2.

In an interview to Breitbart News, when asked about his February 13 bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House, President Trump said:

“I have a very good relationship with India, but the only problem I have with India is they’re one of the highest tariffing nations in the world.”

“I believe they’re going to probably going to be lowering those tariffs substantially, but on April 2, we will be charging them the same tariffs they charge us.”

Asked about the India-Middle East-Europe-Economic Corridor (IMEC), a deal the US is keen to take forward, Trump said it was a “group of wonderful nations” banding together “countering other countries that look to hurt us on trade”, in an oblique reference to China.

“We have a powerful group of partners in trade,” Trump said. “Again, we can’t let those partners treat us badly, however. We do better in many ways frankly with our foes than we do with our friends.

“The ones that wouldn’t be as friendly to us in some cases treat us better than the ones that are supposed to be friendly, like the European Union, which treats us terribly on trade.

“India and everybody would think of them as an ally. I can say the same for others. But this is a group of wonderful nations that is countering other countries that look to hurt us on trade.”

Earlier this month, in an address to the US Congress President Trump had said that “India charges US auto tariffs higher than 100 percent”, which he termed as “not fair”.

President Trump, who had raised the issue of high Indian tariffs during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House last month and even during their phone call after his swearing-in, clubbed India along with China, and the European Union as among countries that charge “tremendously higher tariffs” on US products.

Trump said:

“Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it's our turn to start using them against those other countries. 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.

“It's very unfair. India charges US auto tariffs higher than 100%.”

He announced the slapping of reciprocal tariffs from April 2.

UNI RN