'We get along with India very well, but...': Trump calls trade unfair, stays vague on tariffs

US President Donald Trump said America “gets along with India very well” but insisted the trade relationship had been unfair for years, with New Delhi imposing what he called “tremendous tariffs” on American goods.

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump was asked whether he was considering removing tariffs on India. “No, we get along with India very well,” he responded, before criticizing the longstanding trade imbalance.

“For many years, the relationship was one-sided,” Trump said. “India was charging us tremendous tariffs—about the highest in the world.”

He argued that American companies were at a disadvantage, with Indian goods entering the US market freely while American exports faced steep barriers. “They’d send it in, pour it into our country... but we would not send in anything because they were charging us 100% tariffs,” he said.

Trump pointed to Harley Davidson as a prime example. The American motorcycle maker struggled to sell in India due to a reported 200% tariff. “So what happens? Harley Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant, and now they don’t have to pay tariffs—same thing as us.”

The president said the US had “foolishly” allowed this imbalance to continue for years, but that changed when he took office. “We weren’t charging them,” he said, “but they were doing business with us.”

While affirming a strong diplomatic relationship, Trump signaled that trade would remain a pressure point until both sides played by the same rules.