US-India Trade Negotiations On, Says Trump After Announcing 25% Tariff
Just hours after announcing a steep 25% tariff and additional penalties on Indian imports, US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that trade negotiations between Washington and New Delhi are actively underway. Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump reiterated his criticism of India’s high tariff rates but indicated that the door for discussion remains open.
“We’re talking to them now. We’ll see what happens,” Trump stated in response to a question about the new tariffs. He described India as “one of the highest tariff nations in the world,” but acknowledged its willingness to negotiate. “Now they’re willing to cut it very substantially. But we’ll see what happens… It doesn’t matter too much whether we have a deal or whether we charge them a certain tariff,” he added.
During the press conference, Trump also took aim at the BRICS group—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—labeling it “anti-United States” and accusing it of undermining the US dollar. “It’s an attack on the dollar, and we’re not going to let anybody attack the dollar,” he remarked, linking India’s membership in the bloc to the trade dispute.
Despite the tough rhetoric, the US President maintained that he shares a good relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “As you know, Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine, but they don’t do very much business in terms of business with us. They sell a lot to us, but we don’t buy from them… Because the tariff is so high,” Trump said, highlighting the trade imbalance as a key point of frustration.
The official tariff announcement was made earlier in the day on Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, with the new duties set to take effect on August 1. He cited India’s historically high tariffs, non-monetary trade barriers, and its continued energy and military ties with Russia as primary justifications for the move.
In response to the announcement, New Delhi issued a measured statement, confirming its commitment to concluding a “fair, balanced and mutually beneficial” trade agreement. The Indian government stated it would take all necessary steps to protect the interests of its farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs while continuing to engage in negotiations with Washington.
