Trump Reiterates Plan for Reciprocal Tariffs on India, China

 Former U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to imposing reciprocal tariffs on countries such as India and China, a stance he previously conveyed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Washington, D.C.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Saturday, Trump emphasized the principle of fairness in trade policies. “We’ll soon impose reciprocal tariffs—meaning, if they charge us, we charge them. It’s very simple,” he stated. “Whatever a company or a country, whether India, China, or any other nation, imposes on us, we will match. We want to ensure fairness—true reciprocity.”

The 78-year-old Republican leader underscored that the U.S. had not previously enforced such measures but was now prepared to do so. “We haven’t done that before—we’ve never done that. But we are getting ready to implement it,” he said.

Trump reiterated his position in a joint interview with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Fox News last Tuesday, revealing that he had directly addressed the issue with Modi. “I told Prime Minister Modi yesterday—he was here—I said, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do: reciprocal. Whatever you charge, I’m charging,’” Trump remarked.

In a lighter moment, Trump joked about his fondness for the term ‘tariff,’ noting that it had once been his favorite word but had since fallen to fourth place behind ‘family,’ ‘love,’ and ‘God.’ “I think we should put God first—you know why? Because we don’t want to take any chances,” he quipped.

Just hours before his bilateral meeting with Modi, Trump had announced in the Oval Office that his administration would move forward with reciprocal tariffs, calling the decision a matter of fairness. “I’ve decided, for the sake of fairness, that we will impose a reciprocal tariff,” he declared during the proclamation signing. “It’s fair to all, and no country can rightfully object.”

Trump has long been critical of India’s trade policies, previously referring to the nation as a “tariff king.” During his first term, in May 2019, he revoked India’s preferential trade status under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), arguing that India had failed to provide the United States with “equitable and reasonable access to its markets.”