WASHINGTON: During his wide-ranging and eventful first speech to Congress, President Trump lashed out at India — among several other countries — for imposing what he called “very unfair” tariffs on American goods, and announced that from April 2, he would respond with reciprocal tariffs.

Trump specifically criticised India’s 100pc tariff on American automobiles — grouping it with China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Brazil — all of whom, he claimed, have exploited the US with excessively high tariffs for decades.

“Other countries have used tariffs against us for years. Now it’s our turn,” Trump declared.

He argued that nations such as the EU, China, Brazil, India, Mexico, and Canada charge the US significantly higher tariffs than Washington imposes on their goods. “It’s very unfair,” he said.

Trump made it clear his administration will no longer tolerate such disparities. “Whatever they tariff us, we will tariff them. That’s reciprocal — back and forth. If they block our products with non-monetary barriers, we’ll do the same to theirs,” he warned.

The president also disclosed that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Washington, he personally informed the Indian leader that India would not be exempt from these measures. “Nobody can argue with me on this,” Trump asserted.

The announcement is part of Trump’s broader protectionist agenda, which already includes sweeping tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China.

These moves — justified by Trump on grounds of trade imbalances, illegal immigration, and drug trafficking — have drawn strong criticism from several world leaders.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025