Trump's 20-25% Duty Threat Is Pressure Tactic To Boost US Goods

Referring to the recent trade agreements between the US and other countries such as the EU, Indonesia, Philippines and the latest comments by Donald Trump that India may have to pay 20-25 percent tariffs, Vice Chancellor of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Professor Rakesh Mohan Joshi on Wednesday equated them with arm-twisting by the US President.

- TBG NETWORK

Talking to ANI, Professor Joshi said Donald Trump is arm-twisting countries and threatening them in the name of tariffs. Citing US-EU trade understandings, Professor Joshi said, “He’s (President Trump is) forcing countries to buy energy, forcing countries to buy some technology. He’s forcing countries to buy aircraft. He’s forcing countries to buy defense equipment just to balance the trade.”

In the recent deal, the US imposed 15 percent tariffs on the EU and on the other hand US got free access to the EU, besides some mandatory buying of US goods by the EU. Joshi, shifting his focus to India-US BTA negotiations, where the US is strongly pushing for greater access to Indian agriculture and dairy goods, said opening these critical sectors for the US is not in India’s interest.