By Soumya Ranjan The White House blasted Canada and India for their tariffs on US goods, pointing out that India had imposed high tariffs on American agricultural and alcoholic beverages. In order to combat what he perceives to be unfair international trade practices, President Trump supports fair trade and has alluded to possible tariff increases.
India, which levied a 150 percent tariff on American alcohol and a 100 percent tariff on agricultural products, was specifically mentioned by the White House on Tuesday when discussing the tariffs that other countries have placed on the US.
US President Donald Trump supports reciprocity and seeks fair and balanced trade practices, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized. She urged Canada to stop stealing from the United States and hard-working Americans for decades.
“The president is once again responding to the fact that Canada has been ripping off the United States of America and hardworking Americans for decades,” Leavitt said during the press conference. It is outrageous to consider the rates of tariffs that Canadians have been imposing on Americans and our workers in general.
This came in a response to the queries over Trump’s planned communication with Canada’s Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney.
She then highlighted tariffs imposed by India and Japan on various US products, noting that the current US President prioritises American business and worker interests.
“I actually have a handy dandy chart here that shows not just Canada but the rate of tariffs across the board,” she said, giving specific examples. Since you mentioned the nearly 300 percent tariff on American cheese and butter, let’s look at Canada.
Consider India, where American alcohol is subject to a 150 percent tariff. Do you believe that’s contributing to the export of Kentucky bourbon to India? Not in my opinion. Indian agricultural products are subject to a 100% tariff.
On Sunday, Trump indicated potential increases in tariffs against Mexico and Canada, according to Fox News, stating that the international community has historically taken advantage of the US.
Trump made suggestions about potential future tariff increases in response to business leaders’ worries about the predictability of tariffs. Recovering from what he sees as years of unfair international trade practices was emphasized.
Concerns about border security and the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States have led Trump to impose tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico.
Trump temporarily postponed the implementation of some product tariffs on Canada and Mexico until April 2 on March 7. He criticized Canada’s tariff policies, but this came after talks with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico.
Trump recently spoke about India’s tariffs, saying that the high tariff rates make doing business with India very challenging. He pointed out that India has consented to lower its tariffs, citing heightened scrutiny of their trade policies as the reason.