US President Donald Trump has said that he has “heard India is going to be dropping tariffs" on American imports. Trump made this statement while responding to a question regarding the impact on ties with close allies once the reciprocal tariff regime by the United States kicks in on April 2.
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China, Japan, South Korea Pact
The question was triggered by claims made by Chinese state media that Japan and South Korea, two of the United States' closest allies, have signed an agreement with China to respond together to US tariffs.
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Reciprocal Tariffs to Help Allies: Trump
Trump brushed aside concerns regarding strain on ties with close allies once reciprocal tariffs kick in. He expressed confidence that many countries would cut tariffs on American goods after the new regime is implemented and added that he believed the reciprocal tariffs could help some of the US's allies in certain ways.
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The US President said, “I think a lot of them will drop their tariffs because they've been unfairly tariffing the United States for years. If you look at the European Union on cars, the European Union has already dropped their tariff down to 2.5%. It was announced a couple of days ago, which is a very small tariff. The United States charged very little.”
India is Dropping Tariffs: Trump
Talking about ties with India in the context of reciprocal tariffs, Trump stated that he “thought he heard that India, just a little while ago, was going to be dropping its tariffs.” This comes on a day when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt once again called out India for its high tariffs on American goods.
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US Vows Tariff reciprocity again
Speaking to the media, White House Press Secretary Leavitt stated that India was imposing a 100% tariff on American agricultural products, accusing the country of unfair trade practices and “ripping off the United States.” Leavitt also vowed “reciprocity” as she named the countries that the United States claims have been charging tariffs that “make it difficult” for the US to do business in their markets.
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