While U.S. president Donald Trump has appeared to have softened his stand towards India, his attacks continue to attack the country over trade issues and Russian oil. In latest such comments, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick targeted India for not opening its market for American agricultural products.
Lutnick said that despite having 1.4 billion people, India does not buy even a bushel of corn from U.S.A., adding that the country will have to either buy American corn or face high tariffs. He made the comments with an interview with Axios in its inaugural show “The Axios Show.”
The Commerce Secretary made the comments responding to a question asking whether Trum administration is mismanaging or pissing away valuable allies like India, Canada and Brazil. Repeating the baseless claims of trade deficit, Lutnick said that relationship with these countries is one way, “they sell to us, and take advantage of us. They block us from their economy, and they sell to us, and while we are wide open for them come in”.
When the interviewer, Axios co-founder Mike Allen, said that U.S. is paying a big price by this approach, Lutnick said, “How are we paying a big price? We can’t. India brags that they have 1.4 billion people, then why wouldn’t they buy one bushel of corn from us? Doesn’t that rub you the wrong way. That they sell everything to us, and they won’t buy our corn. They put tariffs on everything. So the president says, bring down your tariffs, treat us the way we treat you. Now we have to right years of wrong, so we want the tariffs go the other way, until we fix this.”
One bushel of corn is 56 pounds of corn, approximately 25.40 kgs.
He further said, “That’s the President’s model, you either accept it or you are going to have a tough time doing business with the world’s greatest consumer.”
Notably, India’s refusal to open the India’s market for American farm and dairy products is a main issue blocking a trade deal between the countries. Now, the commerce secretary has openly acknowledged that apart from Russian oil and alleged high tariffs, not importing American farm produce is also a reason for Trump’s tariff assault on India.
