Trump says India offered to reduce tariffs on US goods to nothing
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Members of the Federation of Sadar Bazar Trades Association protesting against US tariffs in New Delhi on Aug 30.
PHOTO: EPA
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WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on Sept 1 that India has offered to reduce its tariffs on US goods to zero, even as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was making public shows of solidarity with Chinese and Russian leaders in the face of trade pressure from Washington.
While calling the US’ relationship with India “one-sided”, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago.”
The Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Mr Trump’s comments, which follow the implementation of total duties as high as 50 per cent
Mr Trump’s remark came as Mr Modi was in China for a summit
At the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping pressed his vision for a new global security and economic order that prioritises the Global South, in a direct challenge to the US.
The US-India relationship has strengthened in recent years, including during Mr Trump’s first term, given shared concerns about China’s growing power, but Mr Trump threatened the tariffs on India after it refused to stop buying Russian oil in defiance of his efforts to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
In China, in an image designed to convey solidarity, Mr Putin and Mr Modi were shown holding hands
The three men stood shoulder to shoulder, laughing and surrounded by interpreters.
Beijing has used the summit to mend ties with New Delhi.
Mr Modi, visiting China for the first time in seven years, and Mr Xi agreed on Aug 31 that their countries are development partners, not rivals
The US State Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the meetings in China. REUTERS
