US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that India will lower tariffs on American goods, while also reaffirming that the US will impose reciprocal tariffs from April 2 if the issue remains unresolved. In an interview with Breitbart News on Wednesday, Trump stated, “I believe they are going to be lowering those tariffs substantially, but on April 2, we will be charging them the same tariffs they charge us,” Reuters reported.
The Indian government has not confirmed any immediate reduction in tariffs, though last week, it informed Parliament that the United States has not yet imposed reciprocal tariffs on Indian products. Trump has repeatedly criticized India and other nations for their high tariffs on American exports, calling them “very unfair.”
On February 13, the US administration issued a memorandum on reciprocal trade and tariffs, directing the Commerce Secretary and US Trade Representative (USTR) to evaluate the impact of non-reciprocal trade arrangements on the US economy. The agencies have been asked to assess potential damages and propose corrective measures for each trading partner.
Meanwhile, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last month, India and the US pledged to increase bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The two nations also agreed to finalize the first phase of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by fall 2025, which aims to enhance cooperation across multiple sectors.
