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India Seeks to Shake Off ‘Tariff King’ Label in Reply to Trump

India’s government made significant cuts to import tariffs in its budget and signaled it won’t shelter businesses behind protectionist measures, a clear strategy to head off any retaliation from US President Donald Trump who began a new trade war with key partners.

The reduction in import duties covered a range of goods from electronics to textiles, with experts saying it’s the first time India had made such major moves on its tariff structures. A notable change was a cut to import taxes on high-end motorcycles, such as those made by Harley Davidson Inc., an issue routinely raised by Trump since his first term in office.

Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey said in an interview Sunday India wants to shed its image of being a protectionist country.

“We are signaling that India is not a tariff king,” he said. “We are indicating that we are a competitive economy and we are open for business.”

India’s move came just a day before Trump announced new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, drawing retaliatory action and prompting a selloff in global markets. Bloomberg News had previously reported that New Delhi was evaluating several options, including a trade deal with the US, lower tariffs and importing more American goods to avoid any trade action from Trump. New Delhi also indicated it will help identify and take back undocumented Indian migrants in the US.

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