International
‘Tariff King’ India wants to start trade talks with U.S immediately: Trump
U.S President Donald Trump at a press conference on Monday to announce a trade deal struck between the U.S, Mexico and Canada said that India ‘wants to start trade talks’ with the U.S ‘immediately’, PTI reported.
He criticized India for putting ‘high tariffs’ on American products and said India wanted the trade deal primarily “to keep him happy”.
He gave examples of trade deals that are under negotiations, including with Japan, European Union, China and India.
Trump further described India as a “tariff king” as he restated his allegations that New Delhi has a high tariff rate on various American products.
He warned against imposing similar tariffs on import of Indian products and said Indian negotiators called him that they want to have a trade deal with the US.
The negotiations are being carried out by the US Trade Representatives Robert Lighthizer, PTI reported.
Trump has consistently accused India of imposing 100 per cent tariffs on American products. “We have a country, take India. Good relationship. They want to make a deal now because they don’t want me to do what I’m going to do, with I have to. So, they (Indians) call us. They didn’t want to make a deal with anybody else,” he had said.
Earlier, Trump, at a Joint Fundraising Committee Reception in South Dakota, said that India had called and expressed its desire for a trade deal, PTI reported.
“Frankly, I’ll tell you, India called us the other day. They said they would like to start doing a trade deal, first time,” Trump said. “They wouldn’t talk about it with previous administrations. They were very happy with the way it was.”
Trump commended his trade representatives headed by Bob Lighthizer (the US Trade Representative) and said they were ‘very tough, smart and very good’.
“We have very talented people. They said, ‘Why are you calling?’ Because of President Trump. I was going to wait a little while. We’re going to — like they want to do it,” Trump said, without disclosing details.
