Former U.S. President Trump claimed on September 1, 2025, that India offered to cut tariffs on U.S. goods to zero—news that comes amid escalating trade tensions. Get the full context and reactions.
1. Lead Paragraph
On September 1, 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that India has offered to eliminate tariffs on American goods entirely, calling the long‑standing economic relationship “one‑sided” and stating, “they should have done so years ago” (Reuters, mint). The Indian Embassy in Washington has not yet issued an official response (Reuters).
2. Background Context
- Escalating Trade Tensions: In August 2025, the U.S. imposed tariffs totaling up to 50% on Indian exports—25% under “reciprocal” trade measures and an additional 25% as a penalty tied to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil (Indiatimes, Wikipedia).
- India’s Earlier Offers: In May 2025, Trump claimed in Doha that India proposed a deal imposing “basically no tariffs” on U.S. goods (The Economic Times, ABC). However, India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar responded that “nothing is decided till everything is,” emphasizing that any agreement must be “mutually beneficial” (Al Jazeera, BBC).
- Tariff Dynamics: Prior to this, India had already reduced duties on select American imports, such as Harley‑Davidson motorcycles and bourbon whiskey, and floated the idea of zero tariffs on roughly 55–60% of U.S. imports—but stressed these proposals were contingent on reciprocal tariff relief from Washington (Al Jazeera, ABC, Wikipedia).
3. Global & Strategic Implications
- Amid this deepening trade crisis, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China, engaging with leaders like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. This reflects India’s search for strategic autonomy, diversifying partnerships beyond Western alliances (Reuters, AP News, business-standard.com).
- Analysts warn that aggressive U.S. tariffs may be pushing India closer to non-Western powers, potentially changing the landscape of global trade and diplomacy (AP News, Wikipedia, Indiatimes).
4. Indian Response
While India is yet to issue a formal statement regarding the latest tariff reduction claim, earlier declarations have highlighted its intention to protect domestic sectors—such as agriculture and small industries—and its refusal to yield under external pressure (mint, The Times of India, Wikipedia).
5. What’s Next
- Possible Negotiations: The precise scope of India’s offer—what percentage of goods, phased implementation, or sectors—remains undefined.
- U.S. Reaction: The Trump administration has not publicly confirmed the statement, leaving the possibility of further trade talks or policy shifts open.
- Strategic Ripple Effects: The situation could influence alliances, trade dynamics, and the shape of future bilateral deals, including the elusive U.S.–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
- Target Keywords: “Trump says India offered to remove tariffs,” “India zero tariffs US goods,” “U.S.–India trade tensions,” “May 2025 India tariff offer,” “India SCO summit tariffs.”
- On‑page elements:
- Include H2 sections like “Background of Trade Tensions,” “Earlier Offers & Reactions,” “Global Implications,” “India’s Official Position,” and “What Comes Next.”
- Use internal links to deeper insights, such as: “See our detailed breakdown of the August 2025 tariff hikes” or “Explore implications of India–Russia–China summit outcomes here.”
- Add external authoritative links to cited sources (e.g., Reuters or BBC).
Summary Table (Optional Visual Aid)
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of Statement | September 1, 2025 |
| Trump’s Claim | India offered to cut tariffs on U.S. goods to zero |
| Context | Escalating tariffs, bilateral trade conflict, SCO summit backdrop |
| India’s Prior Position | Earlier conditional offers, tariff reductions on select U.S. goods |
| Uncertainties | Scope of offer, U.S. response, and broader trade dynamics remain unclear |
