“We’ll have to take tough stand”: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sawant on US “reciprocal tariffs”

New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant on Thursday said that the Centre must take a “tough stand” against the US administration’s imposition of a 26 per cent “reciprocal tariff” on India.

Speaking to ANI, Sawant said, “He (Donald Trump) says one term, ‘great man,’ and they (BJP) start beating drums. Look at what the US has reduced the ‘great man’ to. We will have to take a tough stand.”

“Despite having an expert as the Minister of External Affairs, the US continues to ridicule us time and again. Look at how the European Union stands against it. Seeing them, we should understand what self-respect truly means,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP said.

Trump on Wednesday (local US time) announced reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including India during a ‘Make America Wealthy Again’ Event in Washington.

Calling these tariffs “discounted reciprocal tariffs,” Trump said that India charges the US 52 per cent. “India very, very tough. The Prime Minister just left and is a great friend of mine, but you are not treating us right. They charge us 52 per cent and we charge them almost nothing…” the US President said at the event.

The import tariffs imposed by the US on other major countries are China (34 per cent), European Union (20 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), Taiwan (32 per cent), Japan (24 per cent), United Kingdom (10 per cent), Bangladesh (37 per cent), Pakistan (29 per cent), Sri Lanka (44 per cent), Israel (17 per cent).

At the event, Trump also emphasised that after decades of exploitation, the era of American taxpayers being “ripped off” was over. The US President said, “Our country and its taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years, but it is not going to happen anymore.”