Trump announces reciprocal tariffs starting April 2

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again voiced his dissatisfaction with what he describes as "very unfair" tariffs imposed by India and numerous other countries.

Announcing that reciprocal tariffs will come into effect on April 2, Trump intends to align U.S. import duties with the rates other countries apply to American exports.

Speaking to a Joint Session of Congress at the start of his second term, Trump declared, "For decades, other countries have taken advantage of us with their tariffs, and now it's our turn to respond in kind."

Trump specifically highlighted the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico, and Canada as examples of nations that impose significantly higher tariffs on American goods.

He used India as a case in point, pointing out that the country imposes auto tariffs exceeding 100 percent on U.S. vehicles.

Trump has consistently argued that the U.S. must address what he considers to be unfair trade practices. His administration plans to soon implement reciprocal tariffs on countries like India and China, echoing earlier discussions during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Washington.

He emphasized that he communicated to PM Modi that India would not be exempt from these new tariff measures, asserting, "Nobody can argue with me on this."

Beginning April 2, the U.S. will match tariffs imposed by other countries. Trump's statement was clear: "If they tariff us, we will tariff them equally. That’s the principle of reciprocity. If they apply non-monetary barriers to block our access to their markets, we will do the same to theirs."

This announcement follows sweeping tariffs recently placed on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China by the Trump administration, citing concerns like illegal immigration and drug trafficking. These measures have provoked strong responses from global leaders.