US President Donald Trump set off speculation with a cryptic social media post just hours before his scheduled meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hinting at a major move on trade.
As discussions on tariffs are expected to be on the table during his meeting with PM Modi, Trump wrote in his post wrote, “THREE GREAT WEEKS, PERHAPS THE BEST EVER, BUT TODAY IS THE BIG ONE: RECIPROCAL TARIFFS!!! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
His post comes amid his plans to implement reciprocal tariffs, a policy that would match US import duties with the tax rates imposed by other countries.
The move is expected to further disrupt global trade, potentially putting India and other major trading partners on notice. Trump has long criticised what he sees as unfair trade practices, and his administration had previously pressured countries to lower tariffs on American goods.
“It’s time to be reciprocal. You’ll be hearing that word a lot. Reciprocal. If they charge us, we charge them,” he had earlier said.
He recently indicated that a detailed order on the policy would be issued by Wednesday or Thursday, emphasising that “every country will be reciprocal”.
His announcement came just ahead of PM Modi’s two-day visit to the US. The Trump administration has repeatedly voiced concerns over India’s tariff policies, arguing that they create barriers to US imports and hinder fair trade.
Donald Trump had announced 25 per cent tariffs on products imported from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10 per cent tariffs on products imported from China.
However, the Republican paused the imposition of tariffs on neighbouring countries till March 1 as Mexico and Canada agreed to address illegal immigration and drug trafficking concerns raised by Trump.
