The White House has voiced strong concerns over high tariffs imposed by several countries on American goods, calling for more balanced trade. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt specifically pointed to India, Canada, and Japan, criticizing their steep tariff rates on US products.
The global trade landscape remains tense as countries navigate their economic interests. With the US pushing for a level playing field, further trade negotiations—and potential retaliatory tariffs—are likely in the coming months.
Trump’s tariffs threat weighs on global trade. The big question is Trump’s threat of tariffs as he takes office. His economic team has made it clear the tariffs will come only gradually; however, his threats are setting off concerns on global supply chains.
India imposes 150 per cent tariff on American alcohol and a 100 percent tariff on agriculture goods. Also, Japan’s 700% Tariff raises questions. Leavitt holds that Japan has also been singled out for its heavy trade barriers, with tariffs as high as 700% on certain goods. “Look at Japan, tariffing rice, 700 per cent. President Trump believes in reciprocity, and it is about time for a president to look out for the interests of American businesses and workers. And all he’s asking for at the end of the day are fair and balanced trade practices.
Trump has suggested that the US may impose higher tariffs on Canada and Mexico in the near future. “The tariffs could go up as time goes by, and they may go up…”.
US Exploited for years?
The President has repeatedly stated that other nations have exploited the US for years. “This country has been ripped off from every nation in the world, every company in the world. We’ve been ripped off at levels never seen before, and what we’re going to do is get it back,” he said.
This latest escalation is part of a broader US trade policy shift under Trump, who has imposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, citing concerns over border control and fentanyl trafficking. Earlier this month, Trump temporarily delayed some tariffs on Mexico and Canada before a wider implementation set for April 2, following discussions with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. However, he continued to criticize Canada’s trade policies, calling it a “high tariff nation.”
Days after India and the US formally started negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement, a US Embassy spokesperson said President Donald Trump’s “Fair and Reciprocal Plan” is aimed at correcting long-standing imbalances in international trade and bringing back fairness to America’s trade relationships.
“The United States is one of the most open economies in the world, yet our trading partners maintain barriers to our exports. This lack of reciprocity is unfair, contributes to the United States’ large and persistent trade deficit, and threatens our economic and national security,” said the spokesperson.
According to reports, the US has sought zero duties on all products traded with India, excluding agriculture. US has sought zero duties on Tesla cars exported to India. However, the US Embassy Spokesperson said no sector was off the table. The United States seeks a grand trade deal between India and the United States, and the United States seeks to bring down the tariff levels that India has.
US Secretary for Commerce Howard Lutnick has said that the US was interested in a macro-level, broad-based trade deal with India taking everything into account. “India needs to step out and look at the reciprocal relationship with the US. India cannot be worried about every country. We would like India to bring down tariffs bilaterally and trade with America in the most special and unique way.”
Reacting to Lutnick’s remarks, Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said a broad-based deal rather than a product-specific deal would be a big mistake. “They are making a big mistake, and we have to persuade them why they are making this mistake. We can have a bilateral agreement with them, and this is allowed under the WTO. This will then exclude MFN treatment, because if we don’t do a product-based bilateral negotiation with the United States, and go ahead with an across-the-board deal, then basically it’s not United States that’s going to benefit most from it, it will be China. Surely the United States doesn’t want that. Therefore, the whole approach is wrong, and it is to get their way, one way or the other,” he said.
During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Washington in February, President Trump and PM Modi set a bold new goal for bilateral trade, Mission 500, aiming to more than double total bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The leaders further announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement by the fall of 2025.
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Commencing teaching in his early twenties, Prof Aggarwal has diverse experience of great tenure in the top institutions not only as an educationist, administrator, editor, author but also promoting youth and its achievements through the nicest possible content framing. A revolutionary to the core, he is also keen to address the society around him for its betterment and growth on positive notes while imbibing the true team spirit the work force along with.
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