WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump is not happy with Prime MinisterNarendra Modi. For the second time in two weeks, Trump complained aboutIndia’s tariffs on the import of motorcycles. This time, however, Trumpmimicked Modi’s ‘namaste’ while delivering his complaint.
Trump had on February 14, complained that India’s tariff on the import ofAmerican motorcycles – specifically Harley-Davidsons – was too high. Hereturned to the complaint on Monday.
“When I spoke to PM (Modi) he said we are lowering it to 50% but so far weare getting nothing. He gets 50%, he thinks, he is doing us a favour, butthat is not a favour,” complained Trump at a meeting of the governors of USstates at the White House.
“I wasn’t sure – he said it so beautifully. He’s a beautiful man. And hesaid, ‘I just want to inform you that we have reduced it to 75, but we havefurther reduced it to 50’. And I said, huh. What do I say? Am I supposed tobe thrilled?” said Trump, imitating Modi by holding his palms in a ‘namste’and speaking in a low and serious voice.
Thankfully, the insults stopped there and he did not do his ‘Indian accent’this time.
Trump had earlier threatened to descend to an ‘eye-for-an-eye’ solution tothe impasse over the import tariff on American motorcycles in India. He hadthreatened to impose a reciprocal tariff on the import on India-mademotorcycles in the US.
Trump is no stranger to making threats to other countries when it comes totrade, and complaining that every country on earth takes advantage of theUS. He had done so throughout his campaign, against China for instance. Buthe is not known for following up on his threats, and has done little tobring his threats to fruition so far.
Trump’s complaining and threatening against India on the issue ofmotorcycle import tariffs is part of his blow-hot-blow-cold relationshipwith the Asian giant. He is as prone to hyperbolic praise of New Delhi ashe is to complaining about it, as seen by his blaming India and China forthe US pulling out of its commitments to the Paris climate accord.