WASHINGTON: The United States President-elect Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to countries like India and Brazil, threatening to impose “reciprocal taxes” in response to what he described as high taxess levied on American products.
During a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on December 16, Trump said, “Reciprocal. If they tax us, we tax them the same amount. They tax us. We tax them. And they tax us. In almost all cases, they’re taxing us, and we haven’t been taxing them.”
Trump specifically called out India for charging what he termed excessive tariffs on certain US imports, using bicycles as an example. “India charges us 100 and 200 per cent. They send in a bicycle, we send them a bicycle, but we charge them nothing? That’s not fair,” he said, adding, “If they want to charge us, that’s fine, but we’re going to charge them the same thing.”
Trade reciprocity in focus
Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick for Commerce Secretary, reinforced the emphasis on “reciprocity,” suggesting that the administration will insist on equal treatment in trade policies. “How you treat us is how you should expect to be treated,” Lutnick said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell assured reporters in Washington on December 17 that the outgoing Joe Biden administration is leaving the India-US relationship in a strong position. Highlighting collaboration in sectors like technology, finance, and defence,
Campbell expressed confidence that these ties would remain robust under the Trump presidency. “We are handing off the bilateral relationship at its strongest possible apex,” Campbell said, citing mutual endeavours in critical fields like space as a testament to the partnership.
