Donald Trump Calls India Trade Deal a “One-Sided Disaster” After SCO Summit

September 2, 2025 MTIMES 83 Views Donald Trump, India tariffs, India trade deal, Piyush Goyal, pm modi, Russia India trade, SCO Summit, US India Relations, US tariffs 3 min read

US President Donald Trump has once again launched a sharp attack on India, branding New Delhi’s trade ties with Washington as a “one-sided disaster.” His latest remarks on Truth Social came just hours after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a rare show of unity. The three leaders stood hand-in-hand, signaling cooperation on global and regional challenges.

Trump, in his statement, claimed that India has now offered to slash tariffs to zero, but he stressed that the move has come far too late. “What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us. In other words, they sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest client, but we sell them very little. Until now, it has been a totally one-sided relationship for many decades,” he said.

Donald Trump calls India trade deal a “one-sided disaster”

The former US President went further, blaming India for charging what he described as the highest tariffs of any country. According to him, these tariffs have blocked American businesses from gaining a foothold in the Indian market. Trump stated, “The reason is that India has charged us, until now, such high Tariffs, the most of any country, that our businesses are unable to sell into India. It has been a totally one-sided disaster!”

India trade deal criticism linked to Russia ties

Adding more fuel to his criticism, Trump pointed out that India continues to purchase most of its oil and military equipment from Russia, while importing very little from the United States. He remarked that although India has now offered to bring tariffs down to zero, the timing makes little difference. “They should have done so years ago,” he added, stressing that it is “too late” for such changes.

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US Tariffs and Diplomatic Tensions

Trump’s remarks come in the backdrop of the United States imposing 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, along with an extra 25 percent penalty for India’s continued oil imports from Russia. Reports suggest that he has also canceled his planned visit to India for the Quad Summit, despite earlier confirming attendance. This cancellation has added to growing speculation about the future of US-India relations under his leadership.

India’s Response to Trump’s Trade Remarks

Meanwhile, India has maintained that it will take all measures necessary to protect its economic security and national interests. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal responded firmly, stating that India will not “bow down” under external pressure. Instead, New Delhi will focus on exploring fresh global markets and reducing dependency on a single trading partner. This strong statement reflects India’s strategy of balancing global trade while strengthening ties with traditional allies.

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