Trump's tit-for-tat stance for India
Iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycle became Trump's reference point for criticising what he saw as a lopsided trade relation with India. Last year, Trump again raked up the issue of high tax by India on certain American products, in particular the Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and threatened to slap reciprocal tax if voted to power again.
In an interview in August last year, Trump came down heavily on India tax rates, which he alleged were quite high. "The other thing I want to have is a matching tax where, if India charges us -- India is very big with tariffs. I mean, I saw it with Harley-Davidson. I was saying, how do you do in a place like India? Oh, no good sir. Why? They have 100 per cent and 150 per cent and 200 per cent tariffs," said the former president.
On this, I'm with Trump. It's one thing that I personally don't like about India's import policy. On certain products, India levy so much taxes that it actually becomes impossible to buy one. I'm a fan of bikes for long but if I buy one from American brand, It would cost me twice it costs my American mates! Isn't it something that India needs to state before Trump 2.0, otherwise there shall again be a series of tariffs and counter-tariffs by both the countries.
What do you say? Isn't imposing tariffs is like telling us what and how we buy with my money?