Trump Calls India-US Trade Ties A ‘One-Sided Disaster’

US President Donald Trump on Monday escalated his criticism of India-US trade ties, calling the business relationship a ‘one-sided disaster’.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that India exports ‘massive amounts of goods’ to the United States, while American companies face high tariff barriers that restrict their access to the Indian market.

“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us,” he wrote.

According to Trump, India has historically imposed the highest tariffs of any country, creating an imbalanced trade relationship lasting ‘for many decades’.

He further claimed this situation left American businesses at a disadvantage while making the US India’s ‘biggest client’.

Criticism of Defence and Energy Purchases

The US President also criticised India’s defence and energy purchases from Russia.

He said, “India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the U.S.”

Trump further claimed that India has now ‘offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late’.

On 4 August, Trump raised similar concerns over India’s Russian oil purchases. He alleged that India was reselling much of this oil in the open market for large profits.

Senior US officials, including Trade Advisor Peter Navarro and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have echoed Trump’s concerns. They have urged India to reduce Russian crude imports and align more closely with US trade expectations.

India Rejects Tariff Accusations

India rejected these accusations, calling the imposition of 50 per cent US tariffs ‘unfair and unjustified’.

Officials in New Delhi stressed that India’s energy imports serve its national interest and should not be politicised.

The remarks are set to deepen trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi, with tariffs and market access emerging as flashpoints.

Trump’s comments came as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China.

During his two-day visit, PM Modi also held bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Russia and China