Former US President Donald Trump has again criticized India’s trade relations with the US, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump took to Truth Social to express his dissatisfaction, characterizing the US-India relationship as ‘one-sided’ for many decades.
He argued that India sells significantly more goods to the US than it buys, creating a massive trade imbalance. Trump attributed this imbalance to high Indian tariffs, which he claims have hindered US businesses from accessing the Indian market. He stated that this situation has resulted in a ‘totally one-sided disaster’ for the US.
Trump’s comments came shortly after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China. During the summit, Modi held bilateral talks with both Xi and Putin, discussing various aspects of international relations and cooperation. Notably, Modi and Xi agreed to view each other as partners rather than rivals.
Trump further highlighted India’s significant reliance on Russia for oil and military products, contrasting it with comparatively minimal purchases from the US. While acknowledging India’s recent offer to reduce tariffs to zero, Trump lamented that this should have happened years earlier.
This latest criticism follows the US imposing 25% tariffs on most goods from India last month, after trade deal negotiations stalled. This was compounded by an additional 25% punitive duty due to India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil, bringing the total import tax to 50%. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, bilateral trade between the two nations reached $131.8 billion, with a substantial trade surplus of $41.18 billion in India’s favor.
Trump’s outspoken criticism underscores the complexities and ongoing tensions within the evolving geopolitical landscape and highlights the significant economic considerations shaping US foreign policy.
