White House Targets India’s “Burdensome” Certification Rules, Non-Tariff Barriers in Sweeping Trade Move
New York/Washington, April 3 — US President Donald Trump has imposed a 26% "discounted reciprocal tariff" on Indian goods, claiming India enforces “uniquely burdensome” testing and certification requirements that make it “difficult or costly” for American companies to operate in the country.The announcement was part of a broader executive order signed on April 2, 2025, which Trump dubbed “Liberation Day,” aimed at correcting what he described as decades of trade imbalances. The order enforces reciprocal tariffs on 185 countries that levy high taxes on US goods.
India Among Countries Cited for High Tariffs and Trade Barriers
According to a White House fact sheet released alongside the order, India enforces significant non-tariff barriers in critical sectors like chemicals, telecom products, and medical devices. These barriers, including duplicative testing and certification norms, have allegedly stifled American exports.“If these barriers were removed, it is estimated that US exports would increase by at least USD 5.3 billion annually,” the document stated.
Trump underscored that India currently imposes a 52% tariff on US goods, while the US has historically charged minimal tariffs in return. With the newly announced measure, Washington will now impose a reciprocal tariff of 26%on Indian imports.
Trump: “India, Very Very Tough”
Speaking from the Rose Garden at the White House, Trump held up a chart listing tariff disparities with countries including India, China, the EU, Japan, and others. “India, very, very tough,” he said, referencing his recent meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington.“You’re a friend of mine, but you’re not treating us right,” Trump said he told Modi. “They charge us 52 per cent. You have to understand, we charge them almost nothing, for years and years and decades.”
Modi had visited Washington in February 2025, weeks after Trump’s second inauguration.
Addressing Global Tariff Disparities
The White House emphasized the United States has one of the lowest simple average most-favoured-nation (MFN) tariff rates globally at 3.3%, compared to India (17%), Brazil (11.2%), China (7.5%), Vietnam (9.4%), and the European Union (5%).The fact sheet highlighted sectoral disparities, including:
- Passenger vehicles: US tariff 2.5%, India 70%
- Networking equipment: US 0%, India 10–20%
- Rice in the husk: US 2.7%, India 80%
- Apples: Duty-free in the US, but 50% in India
China’s Dominance Also Under Fire
China was also singled out for its “non-market policies,” which the White House said contributed to a loss of 3.7 million US jobs between 2001 and 2018. These practices, it added, have compromised US national security by heightening reliance on foreign-controlled supply chains.“Reclaiming America’s Destiny”
Flanked by factory and automotive workers, as well as his Cabinet members, Trump signed the executive order and declared, “This is Liberation Day… the day American industry was reborn.”He continued, “For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged… American steelworkers, autoworkers, farmers, and skilled craftsmen—they really suffered gravely.”
The reciprocal tariff move, Trump asserted, is a simple principle: “They do it to us, and we do it to them.”
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