In a press conference on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that he had received reports that India is going to drastically reduce tariffs on American products. "I believe I heard that India just a little while ago is going to be reducing its tariffs very substantially, and I said why didn't somebody do this a long time ago," Trump said.
His comment arrives at a critical juncture as Washington threatens to impose matching tariffs on April 2, a threat that has kept policymakers from around the world restless.
India is also added to a list of countries that the White House accuses of excessive tariffs unfairly targeting American exporters.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to India's 100 percent tariff on American agricultural products, contending that such excessive rates impose major hurdles for American products attempting to penetrate some foreign markets.
"These nations have been taking advantage of our country for too long," Leavitt was quoted as saying by PTI news agency. She also claimed that these countries have shown clear disrespect towards American workers.
You have 100% tariff from India on American agricultural products," she reiterated.
Highlighting the importance of balanced trade policy, Leavitt stated, "It's time for reciprocity." She also added that President Trump "is going to make historic changes, and that will happen on Wednesday."
Aside from India, Trump's government has referenced comparable tariff structures being imposed by the European Union, Japan, and Canada, and hinted that these places might be subjected to new trade actions too. "This renders it practically impossible for American products to be exported to these markets," Leavitt said.
Trump's 'Liberation Day'
President Trump will announce his new tariff policy, which he has termed "Liberation Day," on April 2. The announcement will come in his first Rose Garden press conference since the start of his second term.
Leavitt confirmed Monday that the entire cabinet will be present at the event. But the details of the plan are still unclear, as the administration has offered several, sometimes contradictory, proposals in recent weeks.
"Wednesday, it will be America's Liberation Day, as President Trump has so patriotically called it," Leavitt declared. "The President will be making a tariff proposal that will reverse the unfair trade policies that have been taking advantage of our nation for decades. He's doing this in the best interest of the American worker."
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