Published 15:04 IST, April 29th 2019
Donald Trump again goes after India on trade, says it slaps 'big tariffs' on American products
President Donald Trump has criticised India's "big tariffs" on American paper products and the iconic Harley-Davidson bikes, saying the US has been losing billions of dollars to countries like India, China and Japan.
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President Donald Trump has criticised India's "big tariffs" on American paper products and iconic Harley-Davidson bikes, saying US has been losing billions of dollars to countries like India, China and Japan.
dressing a Republican political rally in Wisconsin state's Green Bay city on Sunday, Trump alleged that every country has been ripping off America for years.
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President has repeatedly claimed that India is a "tariff king" and imposes "tremendously high" tariffs on American products.
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"For so many deces we've been losing tens of billions of dollars to China and Japan, and India, and name any country and we lost, but we're t losing anymore," he said to his cheering supporters.
He said that US was being charged high tariffs on foreign paper products.
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"We charge or countries zero tariffs on foreign paper products, but when Wisconsin paper companies export it abro... China charged us big tariffs, India charged us big tariffs, Vietnam charge us massive tariffs," Trump said.
He claimed that people of US demanded a government that puts America first.
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"And we're doing that with China, we're doing that with India, we're doing that with Japan, we're doing it with a great new tre deal, that hopefully will get approved in house," President said.
Early this year at a White House event to anunce his support for reciprocal tax, Trump h said that he was satisfied with Indian decision to reduce import tariff on high-end Harley-Davidson motorcycles from 100 per cent to 50 per cent.
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President said that he called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issue of tariffs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
"Look at Harley-Davidson. I met with m three years ago, y would tell me tough to do business in certain kind. I asked 'How you're doing in India?' and y said, 'Oh, we don't do any business'. y weren't even complaining because so many years.
"So India charged a 100 per cent tariff on Harley-Davidson, but when y send ir motorcycles and y may come to us, we charge m thing," Trump said.
"So I called up Prime Minister Modi, I said unfair, he cut it 50 per cent... But that's t good eugh because look, it's 50 per cent to thing. And what we're doing is changing all of that stuff, changing all of that rapidly," he ded.
India is pressing for exemption from high duty imposed by US on certain steel and aluminium products, resumption of export benefits to certain domestic products under Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) program, greater market access for its products from agriculture, automobile, automobile components and engineering sectors.
On or hand, US is demanding greater market access through a cut in import duties for its agriculture goods, dairy products, medical devices, IT and communication items. India has stated that it would be difficult for m to cut duties on IT products.
India's exports to US in 2017-18 stood at USD 47.9 billion, while imports were USD 26.7 billion. tre balance is in favour of India
15:04 IST, April 29th 2019