On Thursday, US President Donald Trump stated that he has a “very good relationship” with India but pointed out a concern regarding India. He said it is “one of the highest tariffing nations in the world.”

“I have a very good relationship with India, but the only problem I have with India is they’re one of the highest tariffing nations in the world. I believe they’re going to probably be lowering those tariffs substantially, but on April 2, we will be charging them the same tariffs they charge us," Trump said in an interview with Breitbart News, an American news, opinion, and commentary website. Trump also referred to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor as a “group of wonderful nations” coming together to “counter other countries that look to hurt us on trade.”

“We have a powerful group of partners in trade,” Trump stated. “Again, we can’t let those partners treat us badly; however, we do better in many ways frankly with our foes than we do with our friends," the Republican leader Trump further said.

“The ones that wouldn’t be as friendly to us in some cases treat us better than the ones that are supposed to be friendly, like the European Union, which treats us terribly on trade. India and everybody would think of them as an ally,” the US president expressed. “I can say the same for others. But this is a group of wonderful nations that is countering other countries that look to hurt us on trade," Trump continued.

On March 5, Trump criticised the high tariffs imposed by India and other countries, calling them “very unfair.” He announced that starting April 2, the U.S. would implement reciprocal tariffs on nations that levy duties on American goods. He made these statements while addressing a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, marking his first address in his second term as president in the white house.

“If you don’t make your product in America, however, under the Trump administration, you will pay a tariff and, in some cases, a rather large one," Trump said, as PTI cited.

"Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries. On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada — have you heard of them? And countless other nations charge us tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them," told Trump. “It’s very unfair. India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent,” he further said.