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About 50% Tariff On U.S. Motorcycles By India Unacceptable, Says Trump

Trump said the United States, under his leadership, is a country that can no longer be fooled.

U.S. President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Matthew Levatich, chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson Inc., right, as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, smiles, outside of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. (Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg)
U.S. President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Matthew Levatich, chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson Inc., right, as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, smiles, outside of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. (Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg)

U.S. President Donald Trump said that even though India has reduced its import tariff on American motorcycles from 100 percent to 50 percent, it is still too high and unacceptable to him.

Trump said the United States, under his leadership, is a country that can no longer be fooled.

"We're not the foolish country that does so badly. You look at India, very good friend of mine, Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, you take a look at what they've done, 100 percent tax on a motorcycle. We charge them nothing," Trump told CBS news in an interview on Monday.

Trump was referring to the import tariff on the Harley Davidson motorcycles, an issue that has been close to his heart and wants India to reduce it to zero.

"So, when Harley sends over there, they have 100 percent tax. When they (India) send in they make a tremendous number of motorcycles when they send them in, no tax. I called him. I said it's unacceptable, Trump said, referring to his conversation with Prime Minister Modi.

"He (Modi) reduced it by 50 percent with one phone call. I said it's still unacceptable because it's 50 percent versus nothing. It's still unacceptable. And they're working on it," he said, indicating that the two countries are still in talks to resolve the issue of import tariffs on American motorcycles.

We (United States) are the bank that everybody wants to rob, and that’s what they (other countries) have been doing for a long period of time.
Donald Trump, President, U.S.

"If we weren't the bank we wouldn't even be talking about it because nobody would care. But we're the bank that everybody wants to rob, and that's what they've been doing for a long period of time,” he said, adding that U.S. has a trade deficit of around $800 billion with other countries.

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