'India offered zero tariffs, but it’s too late', says Trump

Donald Trump is back weighing in on US-India trade as on Monday, the US President claimed India had offered to drop tariffs on American goods all the way to zero, but added that “it’s getting late now” for that to fix what he sees as a one-sided trade relationship.

Trump's comments come while the two countries are already sparring over tariffs, with Washington recently hitting Indian exports with 50% tariffs.

Here's what Donald Trump said on Truth Social:

India-US tariff fight tests strategic partnership

India has hit back at the US tariff hikes, calling them “unfair and unjustified” and making clear it won’t be pushed around.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said flatly that “India will neither bow down nor ever appear weak” in the face of Washington’s pressure.

Critics say Trump’s tariff play could end up doing more harm than good, straining trade ties and even the wider partnership between the two countries.

Economists warn India could lose $55–60 billion in exports if the measures stick, a heavy blow for exporters already under pressure.

India has started to show a bit more openness on tariff talks, but it’s also making clear that any cuts have to come as part of a fair, two-way deal.

The problem, as observers note, is that India’s market is layered with rules and barriers, so nothing is going to move fast. Any real change will take detailed, probably drawn-out negotiations.

Trump’s latest shot underlines how deep the trade friction runs, and how much of it ties back to geopolitics.

For the US, India’s heavy reliance on Russia for oil and defense gear is a constant sore point, even more so with the Ukraine war dragging on and sanctions in place.