Trump Badgers, Claims India Dropping Tariffs; India Says: No

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – In a typically unfiltered and unilateral statement, President Donald Trump sparked confusion and controversy on May 15 by claiming that India had offered to eliminate all tariffs on goods imported from the United States.

Speaking in Qatar, Trump declared, “India is the highest — one of the highest tariff nations in the world. It’s very hard to sell into India, and they’ve offered us a deal where, basically, they’re willing to literally charge us no tariff.”

But within hours, India swiftly countered the claim. In a pointed response to local media, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar flatly denied that any such agreement had been reached. “Talks are still going on, and nothing is decided till everything is,” he said, underlining the complexity and ongoing nature of the negotiations.

Addressing the issue further, Jaishankar added, “Let me say this: between India and the U.S., trade talks have been going on. These are very complicated negotiations. They are very intricate.” He reiterated that no decision has been made yet, and stressed that any trade deal must be “mutually beneficial” and serve the interests of both nations.

“Any trade deal has to work for both countries, and I think that would be our expectation from the trade deal. Until that is done, I think any judgement on it would be premature,” he cautioned.

Trump’s comments, while headline-grabbing, appear to be at odds with Indian officials. The divergence highlights the diplomatic tightrope being walked behind the scenes.

CNN said the White House last month estimated that US exports to India would increase by at least $5.3 billion annually if India dropped its trade barriers but it was unclear how the White House arrived at those figures.