'Must make me happy': Trump hints at new India tariffs
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has hinted at imposing new tariffs on India over its continued imports of Russian oil. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "knew he was not happy" with the situation. "They wanted to make me happy, basically....PM Modi's a very good man. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly," he added.
Tariff history
Trump's previous tariff measures against India
Last year, Trump had already imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff on India, along with an additional 25% penalty for purchasing Russian oil. This brought the total duties in some categories to an eye-watering 50%. The move had significantly strained relations between New Delhi and Washington. But there had been signs of a thaw in ties lately. The duo last month had a phone conversation, during which both leaders stressed the importance of keeping up efforts to boost bilateral trade.
Trade dispute
Trump's concerns over Indian rice dumping
Just days before his call, Trump had threatened new tariffs on Indian rice after a farmer representative complained about dumping by India, China, and Thailand. Trump had questioned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent if India had an exemption on rice imports. "Why is India allowed to do that?" Trump asked. When Trump was told a trade deal is in the works, he said, "But they [India] shouldn't be doing that...We will get it settled. Tariffs solve the problem in two minutes."