‘India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 pc’: Trump promises reciprocal tax from April 2

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump targeted India’s import duties in his speech to a joint session of the US Congress on Tuesday (local time). Trump specifically targetted India’s tarrifs on automobile imports saying, “India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent”.

While addressing a joint session of the US Congress, Trump said that the reciprocal tax will kick in on April 2. He said that the US has been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on earth and vowed not to “let that happen any longer”.

Trump said, “Under the Trump administration, you will pay a tariff and, in some cases, a rather large one. Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries. On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada, have you heard of them, and countless other nations charge us tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them. It’s very unfair. India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent.”

Trump calls out India’s 100% auto tariffs during his joint session of Congress, listing India alongside China, EU, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Brazil. #Trump #India #AutoTariffs #TradeWar pic.twitter.com/Llq6Iw2ZX3

— The UnderLine (@TheUnderLineIN) March 5, 2025

He also spoke about the tariffs imposed by the European Union, China, Brazil and Mexico and announced that the US will impose tariffs on other nations based on what they do to the US. “China’s average tariff on our products is twice what we charge them. And South Korea’s average tariff is four times higher. Think of that, four times higher, and we give so much help militarily and in so many other ways to South Korea. But that’s what happens, this is happening by friend and foe”.

Stressing that the system is “not fair to the US”, Trump said, “This system is not fair to the United States and never was. And so, on April 2nd, I wanted to make it April 1st, but I didn’t want to be accused of April Fool’s Day. That’s not — this one day was — cost us a lot of money. But we’re going to do it in April. I’m a very superstitious person. April 2nd, reciprocal tariffs kick in. And whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them”.

The US President also vowed to tax the countries who were taxing the US and claimed that the US had been ripped off for years by every country on Earth. “That’s reciprocal, back and forth. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them. If they do non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we will do non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market. There’s a lot of that, too. They don’t even allow us in their market.

“We will take in trillions and trillions of dollars and create jobs like we have never seen before. I did it with China, and I did it with others. And the Biden administration couldn’t do anything about it because there was so much money. They couldn’t do anything about it. We have been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on Earth, and we will not let that happen any longer”, he said.

Trump said that his administration has accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations in four years or eight years and “we have just started.” He stated that the US is on the “verge of a comeback, the likes of which has never witnessed.”

He said, “Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America. From that moment on it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years, and we are just getting started… Our spirit is back, our pride is back, and our confidence is back and American Dream is surging bigger and better than ever before. The American dream is unstoppable and our country is on the verge of a comeback, the likes of which has never witnessed and perhaps will never witness again.”

Trump said that there is “absolutely nothing I can say” or do to make Democratic lawmakers happy. He said, “This is my fifth such speech to Congress. And once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud. Nothing I can do.”

He further said, “I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations, or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded. And these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements. They won’t do it, no matter what. Five times I’ve been up here. It’s very sad, and it just shouldn’t be this way.”

He said that he has signed nearly 100 executive orders and taken more than 400 executive actions since assuming office on January 20. “Over the past 6 weeks, I have signed nearly 100 Executive Orders and taken more than 400 Executive Actions – a record to restore common sense, safety, optimism and wealth all across our wonderful land. The people elected me to do the job and I am doing it,” he’s said.

He spoke about declaring a national emergency on the southern border. He even criticised former US President Joe Biden, calling him the “worst President in American history.”

He said, “Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border. I deployed US military and border patrol to repel the invasion of our country and what a job they have done! As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded…In comparison, under Joe Biden – the worst President in American history, there were hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings a month…” (ANI)