Trump miffed at India tax on Harley-Davidson

President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticised India for imposing a high import duty on the iconic HarleyDavidson motorcycles and threatened to increase the import tariff on "thousands and thousands" of Indian motorcycles to the US.

During a discussion with members of the Congress on the steel industry, Trump said the recent decision of the Indian government to reduce the tariff from 75 per cent to 50 per cent was not enough and asked that it should be reciprocal, as the US imposes "zero tax" on the import of motorcycles.

He also indirectly referred to a recent conversation he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. "And a great gentleman called me from India and he said, we have just reduced the tariff on motorcycles, cut it down to 50 per cent from 75 per cent, and even 100 per cent," Trump said in an apparent reference to his last week's conversation with Prime Minister Modi.

"So, if you are Harley Davidson exporter, you have pay 50 to 75 per cent tax to get your motorcycle, your product in. And yet they sell thousands and thousands of motorcycles, which a lot of people don't know, to the United States. You know what our tax is? Nothing,"

he told the lawmakers and his other Cabinet colleague.

Trump once again pitched for a "reciprocal tax" on countries that he says abuse their trade relationships with the US.

"So, I say, we should have reciprocal taxes for a case like that. I'm not blaming India. I think it's great that they can get away with it. I don't know why people allowed them to get away with it. But there's an example that's very unfair. I think we should have a reciprocal tax," he said.