US President Donald Trump on Wednesday once again accused India of unfair trade practices, highlighting tariffs on Harley Davidson motorcycles as an example. He argued that while American markets remain open to Indian goods, New Delhi imposes “tremendous tariffs, about the highest in the world” on US exports.
“They send in massive amounts of goods, everything they make, and pour it into our country. But we couldn’t send in anything because they were charging us 100% tariffs,” Trump said, pointing to motorcycles as a case in point. “Harley Davidson couldn’t sell in India because of a 200% tariff. So, what did they do? They built a plant in India, and now they don’t have to pay tariffs.”
Trump also vowed to seek an “expedited ruling” from the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court recently declared many of his tariffs illegal. In a 7–4 decision on August 30, the court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize presidents to impose tariffs or duties. While the decision impacts Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico, it does not cover levies on steel and aluminium.
Calling the ruling a “total disaster for the country,” Trump said his administration remains confident of victory. The White House added that “the President’s tariffs remain in effect” pending further legal review.
Under Trump’s trade policy, the US has slapped reciprocal tariffs of 25% on Indian goods and an additional 25% levy on Russian oil imports, pushing duties as high as 50%.
Meanwhile, New Delhi and Washington continue talks on a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Speaking at the Annual Global Investor Conference 2025 in Mumbai, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said negotiations were progressing, though “a little bit of geopolitical” complications had slowed the process. He emphasized that India would not compromise on its agriculture and dairy sectors and would maintain “strategic autonomy” in its trade ties with Russia.
