104% on China, 26% on India: Donald Trump’s tariffs take effect; India among worst hit
US President Donald Trump’s tough new reciprocal tariffs have officially come into effect as of Tuesday midnight (US Eastern time), even as talks are ongoing with several countries. The highest duty—104 percent—has been slapped on Chinese goods, while India faces a steep 26 per cent tariff, placing it among the worst-affected.
The US government says it’s in talks with 70 trading partners, and the goal is to create customised trade deals for each country instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. However, these tariffs will remain in place while those negotiations are happening.
The reciprocal tariffs,“will continue to go in effect as these deals are negotiated,” White House spokesperson Karoline Levitt said, as news agency AP reported.
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India and US talk, but tariffs stay
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, marking the first high-level discussion on trade between the two countries since the tariffs were announced. Both sides agreed to work quickly on a Bilateral Trade Agreement.
That said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump haven’t yet spoken, although officials say that may happen soon. Trump has shown interest in talks, but his aides continue to insist that the tariffs aren’t up for negotiation — at least not right away.
Trump reaches out — But China pushes back
While India awaits a direct conversation with the US President, Trump has already spoken with Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, met Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, and had a call with South Korea’s acting president Han Duck-soo.
He’s also expressed disappointment with China’s reaction — Beijing has retaliated with its own tariffs instead of coming to the negotiating table. Still, Trump insists he’s open to discussions with any country willing to talk.
No deadlines, Just ‘America First’
White House spokesperson Karoline Levitt pushed back against any claim that the US has softened its stance. “The President met with his trade team this morning, and he directed them to have tailor-made trade deals with every country that calls up this administration to strike a deal and listen,” Levitt said.
“And each and every one of these trade deals should be tailored and unique based on that country’s markets, based on that country’s exports, the imports here in the United States of America, what makes the most sense for the American worker and for our industry, the President is focused on putting America first,” she added.
Lawmakers pressed US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Monday for a timeline regarding the negotiations during a hearing. “ We don’t have any particular timeline,” he said, adding, “the outcome is more important than setting something artificially for us. What I can say is I’m moving as quickly as possible.”
But for now, there’s no set timeline for how long these tariffs will stay in place. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told lawmakers that the focus is on getting the deal right, not rushing.In the meantime, imports from all affected countries — including India — will continue to face higher duties, as the US pushes ahead with its “America First” trade policy.
(With inputs from AP)
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