US President alleges unfair trade practices by India, Canada, and Mexico
US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that India has agreed to lower its import tariffs on American goods after being “exposed” for its high trade barriers.
Speaking at the White House, Trump criticized India’s trade policies, stating:
“India charges us massive tariffs… massive. You can’t even sell anything in India. They have agreed, by the way, they want to cut their tariffs way down now because somebody is finally exposing them for what they have done.”
Trump’s remarks came as India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal was in Washington for trade discussions with US officials, including Howard Lutnick.
Trump threatens reciprocal tariffs on Canadian imports
During his speech, Trump also lashed out against Canada’s high tariffs on dairy and lumber, threatening to impose reciprocal duties on Canadian products unless the country reduces its trade barriers.
“Our country has been ripped off by all countries… Canada, Mexico, India. Canada has been ripping us off for years on tariffs for lumber and dairy products,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
He warned that unless Canada drops its tariffs, the US would respond with equal measures, possibly as early as Monday or Tuesday.
US-Canada trade tensions escalate
Trump’s latest trade threats are part of his broader pressure campaign against the Canadian government, which he accuses of failing to curb fentanyl smuggling across the northern US border and unfairly benefiting from the US market.
Most of the $1.6 trillion in US-Canada-Mexico trade occurs duty-free under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which Trump signed in 2020. However, tensions have escalated over US tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber.
New tariff investigations on lumber imports
The US currently imposes a 14.5% duty on Canadian softwood lumber imports due to anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures. Trump has now ordered a new national security probe into global lumber imports, which could further increase US tariffs on these products.
Last Thursday, Trump temporarily suspended a 25% tariff on most Canadian and Mexican goods, imposed earlier this week over the fentanyl crisis. The suspension will last 30 days, but the US may reinstate tariffs if Canada and Mexico fail to meet US demands.
As trade tensions grow, all eyes remain on how India, Canada, and Mexico respond to Trump’s latest threats.
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Foul mouth, talks too much, rants too much