Modi a great friend, but... not treating right: Trump

US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “great friend” but called out India over high import duties as he announced a 27% “discounted” and “kind” reciprocal tariff on the country on Thursday, India Today reported.

Speaking at the White House, Trump flagged that India imposes a 52% tariff on US imports, describing it as “very tough”.

Recalling his interaction with PM Modi on bilateral trade during his visit to the US in February, Trump said, “The Prime Minister just left. He’s a great friend of mine, but I said, ‘You’re a friend of mine, but you’re not treating us right’. They charge us 52%. We charge them almost nothing for years and years and decades.”

The reciprocal tariff rate of 27% includes a 10% universal tariff. The universal 10% tariff will come into effect on all imports into the US from April 5, and the remaining 17% from April 10, a government official said.

The move is likely to hurt India’s exports of agricultural and pharmaceutical goods to the US. Sectors such as steel and aluminium are already feeling the impact of the 25% tariffs imposed by Trump previously. Moreover, a 25% tariff on auto imports and parts will also be collected from April 3.