Trump Labels PM Modi as a Superior Negotiator
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Synopsis
In a recent statement, President Donald Trump acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a significantly tougher negotiator in tariff discussions, criticizing India's high import tariffs and outlining plans for reciprocal tariffs. Trump emphasized the challenges US businesses face in the Indian market and mentioned inaccuracies in the White House's tariff fact sheet.
Key Takeaways
- Trump acknowledges Modi as a superior negotiator.
- Reciprocal tariffs are proposed in response to India’s high tariffs.
- Challenges for US companies in selling to India are highlighted.
- Inaccuracies found in the White House's tariff fact sheet.
- Discussion around Harley Davidson and tariffs on motorcycles.
Washington, Feb 14 (NationPress) President Donald Trump has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “significantly tougher negotiator than himself” amid ongoing discussions concerning tariffs between the two nations.
“He is a far tougher negotiator than I am. There’s no comparison,” Trump remarked during a news conference following their bilateral meeting, where tariffs were a key focus.
Earlier that day, Trump introduced a plan for implementing a system of reciprocal tariffs and criticized India for being “one of the highest tariff nations globally.”
“Selling into India is quite challenging due to their substantial trade barriers and high tariffs,” Trump added, referencing the $98.4 billion trade deficit the US has encountered as a key issue in his trade agenda.
He warned of the possibility of imposing reciprocal tariffs, which would align with what India and other countries impose on US imports. “Right now, we are a reciprocal nation,” he stated. “We will implement whatever tariffs India places on US imports.”
“We will take the straightforward approach by mirroring your charges, which I believe is equitable for both the United States and India,” he noted.
When he announced the reciprocal tariff initiative earlier that day, Trump did not finalize the new tariffs but requested his nominees, Howard Lutnick for Commerce Secretary and Jamieson for International Trade Representative, to develop a tariff strategy for each country within 180 days.
Following the memorandum signing, Trump mentioned his ongoing frustration with India regarding Harley Davidson motorcycles. “Harley Davidson couldn’t sell their bikes in India due to the excessively high taxes and tariffs,” he explained.
“I believe they established a factory in India to bypass these tariffs,” he said. “This is what companies can do with us... If you manufacture here, you face no tariffs,” he emphasized.
However, a factsheet released by the White House regarding reciprocal tariffs contained inaccuracies about India and Harley Davidson. The factsheet claimed that India “levies a 100% tariff on US motorcycles, while we only impose a 2.4% tariff on Indian motorcycles.” However, India has already lowered tariffs on larger Harley Davidson models to 50%, and this month’s budget further reduced it to 30%, with 40% for other models.
