Donald Trump claims India offered to waive all tariffs on Indian goods

U.S. President Donald Trump, who is on a state visit to Qatar, made a major revelation on Thursday when he claimed that India offered to import U.S.-made goods at virtually zero tariffs. Speaking at an event which was attended by business leaders, Trump revealed that the Indian government “offered us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariff," as quoted by Bloomberg. India has not publicly commented on the veracity of the claims made by Trump.

While Trump did not divulge the details of the purported offer, Trump’s comments come close on the heels of India threatening to impose retaliatory tariffs over higher duties on U.S. steel and aluminium, a stark departure from Indian government’s earlier stance of assuaging an assertive Trump, who avowed to work on the tariff imbalance the U.S. has with its allies and adversaries alike.

However, according to a Bloomberg report, the trade negotiations are on track, and the two countries are expected to announce a bilateral trade deal by fall. India was among the first countries to enter negotiations with the U.S. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Trump in February, a short while after his inauguration, to expedite the trade talks.

The Indian government also offered significant concessions to placate the Trump administration, including slashing import duties on high-ticket U.S. goods such as bourbon whiskey and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Despite the trade between the two countries being valued at an estimated $47 billion (₹3.92 lakh crore), Trump has, for the longest time, argued that the tariffs imposed by India on U.S.-made goods hurt U.S. businesses, and imposed 26% tariff rates on Indian goods, which will be implemented in July.

Trump’s comments also come after he earlier declared that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, after a military confrontation between the two countries that was the most intense since the 1971 war, and saw an exchange of armed drones, missiles, and armed shelling. Pakistan also launched a concerted attack on civilian infrastructure using loitering munitions.

However, India has not formally recognised President Trump’s role in negotiating the ceasefire. Bloomberg also reported that the Indian officials were caught off guard when Trump publicly declared, on his social media platform Truth Social, that a ceasefire was reached between the countries.