Trump's Discount for Great Friend PM Modi! Imposes Lower Tariffs on India

President Donald Trump unleashed a tariff storm on the world Tuesday, singling out India with a 26 percent "discounted reciprocal tariff" as he declared April 2, 2025, "Liberation Day" for American industry.

Speaking from the White House Rose Garden, Trump waved a chart spotlighting India’s steep levies—56 percent on average, including what he called "currency manipulation and trade barriers"—and vowed to turn the tables. "This is the day America’s destiny was reclaimed," he boomed, promising to "make America wealthy again."

Trump’s new policy, effective midnight Eastern Time (09:30 IST, Apr 3), hits India with a rate he dubbed "discounted" at 26 percent—half of India’s typical duties on U.S. goods like the 70 percent on motorcycles and automobiles.

"India charges us 52 percent, sometimes 70 percent, and we’ve been charging almost nothing for decades," he said, recounting a recent chat with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "He’s a great friend, but I told him, ‘You’re not treating us right.’" The tariff, part of a broader reciprocal salvo, aims to mirror half of what nations impose on American exports, a flex Trump framed as both tough and fair.

India wasn’t alone—China got 34 percent (plus a 20 percent bonus hit), Vietnam 46 percent, and the EU 20 percent—but Trump zeroed in on New Delhi’s "very, very tough" trade stance. The move threatens India’s agriculture, auto, and pharma sectors, with losses potentially hitting billions. As markets reel and allies brace for retaliation, Trump’s gamble is clear: rewrite global trade, or risk economic chaos. "We’re done being looted," he said. Day one of this tariff tempest is here—buckle up.