US President Donald Trump reiterated his complaints against India, saying New Delhi's tariffs on US products were unacceptable but not giving other details about any possible action amid the two nations' ongoing trade row. "India has long had a field day putting tariffs on American products. No longer acceptable!" Trump tweeted.
Earlier in June, just a day ahead of G20 meeting with PM Narendra Modi in Japan's Osaka, Trump in a Twitter post, demanded the withdrawal of tariffs imposed on 28 goods. “I look forward to speaking with Prime Minister Modi about the fact that India, for years having put very high tariffs against the United States, just recently increased the tariffs even further. This is unacceptable and the tariffs must be withdrawn!" Trump’s tweet read.
New Delhi slapped tariffs on 28 US products exported to India, after Washington withdrew its long-standing trade concessions for India on 1 June. Trump said the preferential status had allowed India to sell goods worth $5.6 billion duty-free. The US move was in line with Trump’s policy of reducing trade deficits, that is, equalizing the import and export between the US and others nations.
President Trump, championing his 'America First' policy has been a vocal critic of India for levying "tremendously high" duties on US products, has described the country as a "tariff king". The timing of the tweet is important as a team from the US Trade Representative’s office is scheduled to visit New Delhi later this week to hold talks with their Indian counterparts. The two teams are expected to negotiate a limited trade agreement. The deal had been suspended when the US decided early last month to withdraw a scheme offering duty-free entry to over 3,000 products from India.
India then imposed retaliatory tariffs on 28 US products with effect from June 16, 2019, after delaying them for a year. Those were in retaliation to the US not acceding India’s request for the withdrawal of penal duties on its steel and aluminium last year.
