Trump says Delhi is willing to charge “without rates” of goods

US President Donald Trump has said India has proposed to refuse all tariffs for goods imported by his country.

The Indian government “offered us a deal where they are generally ready to literally charge us any tariff,” Trump told an event in Doha.

India and the US are currently negotiating a trade agreement.

Delhi has not yet commented on the remarks. The BBC contacted the Ministry of Trade of India for comment.

No more details have been published yet on the alleged transaction.

Trump was talking at an event with business leaders in Doha, where he announced a series of transactions between the US and Qatar, including Boeing Jets.

The US president made the comments while talking about Apple’s plans to make an iPhone in India, saying he had told CEO Tim Cook that he did not want him to build in India because it is “one of the highest tariffs in the world.”

“They (India) offered us a deal where they generally agreed to charge us literally no tariffs. I said” Tim, we treat you really well. We put up with all the plants you have built in China for years. We are not interested in building in India. India can take care of yourself. ”

In calling the profit earlier this month, Apple said it was shifting Production of most iPhone from China to India While Vietnam would be a major manufacturing center for items such as iPad and Apple Watches.

President Trump hit Rates up to 27% Of Indian goods in April. Delhi is in a hurry to negotiate a trade deal during Trump’s 90-day break for higher tariffs, which ends on July 9th.

This week alone, US and China agreed to lower import taxes Regarding the goods that are traded between the two countries – US tariffs for Chinese imports will fall up to 30% of 145%, while Chinese rates for some US imports will fall to 10% of 12%.

The United States was the largest trading partner in India, with bilateral trading amounted to $ 190 billion ($ 143 billion).

Delhi has already lowered the whiskey rates with bourbon, motorcycles and some other US products, but the US has a $ 45 billion trade deficit with India, which Trump wants to reduce.

“Since Trump always blamed India’s high tariffs for the trade deficit, India could offer 90% of US first-day exports, using a zero-zero approach-reduction of tariffs for all goods, except for cars and agriculture. But the transaction must guarantee the strict recent, with both sides to remove the tariffs on equality, “but the transaction must guarantee strict reciprocity, with both sides removing the rates equally.

Trump and Modi have set themselves a goal of more than dual trade up to $ 500 billion, but Delhi is unlikely to propose concessions in sectors such as agriculture where there is a deeper political sensitivity.

Recently, India has shown more openness to carry out trade deals after years of skepticism.

Last week she masses Trade pact with the UK This will significantly reduce obligations in many protected sectors such as whiskey and cars.

India also signed a 100 billion free trade contract With the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) last year – a group of four European countries that are not members of the European Union – after almost 16 years of negotiations.

The EU and India also insist on reaching a free trade agreement this year.

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