Modi a great friend of mine but not treating US right: Donald Trump announcing reciprocal tariffs on India

Trump made the remark while announcing sweeping reciprocal tariffs on all countries that charge the US heavily.

Announcing tariffs for India, Trump said, "India (is) very, very tough. Their Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) just left (US recently)... he is a great friend of mine, but I said to him that 'you're a friend of mine, but you've not been treating us right."

Trump has announced 26 percent, half of what reportedly India charges the US, as reciprocal tariffs on goods imported to Washington from the South Asian country.

Trump announces reciprocal tariffs from baseline 10 pc to higher

Triggering almost a global trade war, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced tariffs of at least 10 percent on almost all goods from other countries, plus even higher rates for many nations, including friends, but deemed to be “worst offenders”.

Addressing an audience in the Rose Gardens of the White House, including rows of construction helmet-wearing workers, Donald Trump said: "The tariffs will not be fully reciprocal. I could have done that, I guess. But it would have been tough for a lot of countries."

His nearly 50-minute-long speech from the White House Rose Garden was attended by his cabinet and representatives of the US steel and auto industries besides people from the working class. He called April 2 a "Liberation Day" for America.

Among the countries being targeted with reciprocal tariffs are China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, India, South Korea, Thailand, Switzerland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and the European Union.

Trump announced a 34 percent reciprocal tariff on China, 26 percent on India and 20 percent on the European Union.

"The United States imposes a 2.5% tariff on passenger vehicle imports (with internal combustion engines), while the European Union (10%) and India (70%) impose much higher duties on the same product.

"For networking switches and routers, the United States imposes a 0% tariff, but India (10-20%) levies higher rates. Brazil (18%) and Indonesia (30%) impose a higher tariff on ethanol than does the United States (2.5%).  For rice in the husk, the U.S. imposes a tariff of 2.7%, while India (80%), Malaysia (40%), and Turkey (31%) impose higher rates," his factsheet posted on the White House site said.

Apples enter the United States duty-free, but not so in Turkey (60.3%) and India (50%),  it said.