Former US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that India has offered to cut tariffs on American exports to “nothing,” even as tensions mount between the two countries over steep trade duties.
“It has been totally a one-sided disaster,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, alleging that high tariff barriers in India made it difficult for US companies to sell their products, while India exported “massive amounts of goods” to the American market.
“They (India) have now offered to cut their tariffs (on exports from the US) to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago,” he posted.
Trump’s comments came just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New Delhi after a round of high-level meetings — including separate engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin — and participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, a 10-nation bloc led by Moscow and Beijing.
The timing has fueled speculation that New Delhi is seeking to rebalance ties amid Washington’s tariff escalations. Since late July, Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on all Indian exports to the US, citing India’s defence and energy purchases from Russia.
Despite Trump’s sharp rhetoric, the US embassy in New Delhi struck a positive note, posting on X that the bilateral partnership “will continue to scale new heights” and describing it as a “defining relationship of the 21st century.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the “enduring friendship between our two peoples is the bedrock of our cooperation.”
Trump’s tariffs have drawn criticism at home as well. Nikki Haley, his former UN ambassador, questioned why India was penalised for oil purchases from Russia while China — a far bigger buyer — avoided similar sanctions. Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned that such measures risked pushing India closer to China.
The rift has also raised questions about the future of the Quad coalition — comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia — which was revived in 2017 to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, meanwhile, reiterated that India would not bow to external pressure. “India will neither bow down nor appear weak, but will strive to capture new markets,” he said last week.
