Trump announces U.S. will implement reciprocal tariffs on India and China starting April 2.

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the high tariffs imposed by India, China, and other countries, calling it "very unfair" and announcing that reciprocal tariffs will take effect starting April 2, 2025.

In his address to a Joint Session of Congress, President Trump emphasized that the U.S. would begin imposing tariffs in response to those charged by other nations. "Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it's our turn to start using them against those countries," Trump declared, mentioning countries like the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico, and Canada. He noted that these nations charge significantly higher tariffs on U.S. goods than the U.S. charges in return, calling it an "unfair" situation.

Trump specifically pointed out that India imposes auto tariffs exceeding 100%, and China’s average tariff on U.S. products is twice as high as America’s tariffs on Chinese goods. He also mentioned that South Korea’s tariffs are four times higher than the U.S.'s, despite the U.S.'s significant military support to the country.

The President reiterated his stance, telling Prime Minister Modi that India would not be exempt from the forthcoming tariffs and emphasizing that “nobody can argue with me” on the tariff structure.

Trump’s comments reflected his broader view that the U.S. has been "ripped off" for decades by nearly every country and vowed to stop this exploitation. He asserted that the reciprocal tariffs would create jobs and bring in substantial revenue, as the U.S. would match or exceed the tariffs imposed on its products by other countries. Starting on April 2, the U.S. will implement these tariffs, mirroring the rates and non-monetary barriers set by other nations to protect their markets.