- Trump claimed India started reducing tariffs only after US imposed its own taxes
- Trump labelled India as the most highly tariffed nation in his interview
- Trump defended tariffs as necessary for achieving stronger economic deals
US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his criticism of India's tariffs on Washington and said that "India kills us with tariffs". He added that New Delhi has offered "no tariffs" to the US, amid escalating tensions with the latter over policies around trade and tariff.
"They have tariffs against us. China, which kills us with tariffs. India kills us with tariffs. Brazil kills us" with tariffs, Trump said in an interview with The Scott Jennings Radio Show on Tuesday.
Trump explained how he knows tariffs "better than any human being in the world" and that India started dropping the tariffs only after US started imposing tax on New Delhi. Labelling India as the "most highly tariffed nation" he said, "And you know what, they've offered me no tariffs in India anymore. No tariffs."
The US President went on to justify why tariffs are important. "If I didn't have tariffs, they would never make that offer. They would never make that offer. So you have to have tariffs. We're going to be economically strong," he said.
However, this is not the first time Trump has made this claim. Earlier, on Monday, he said that the business relationship between the two countries had been "totally one-sided". He declared that it was a "one-sided disaster" and now that India has offered to cut down the tariffs, he said "it's getting late".
Trump has been met with backlash from his own country after a US appeals court ruled the tariffs "illegal".
Trump lashed out by saying that the appeals court "incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end," in a statement on his Truth Social platform.
The US has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, among the highest in the world, including 25 per cent for its purchases of Russian oil. India has called the tariffs imposed by the US "unjustified and unreasonable".
New Delhi said that, like any major economy, it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
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