Fact-Check: Did India Offer to Remove All Tariffs on US Goods, as Claimed by Donald Trump?

Claim:
Former US President Donald Trump recently stated during an event in Doha that India has offered a deal to charge “literally no tariffs” on goods imported from the United States. He cited this while referencing Apple’s move to manufacture iPhones in India and suggested India had agreed to eliminate tariffs entirely.

Verdict: False

Fact-Check:
Donald Trump, while speaking at a business event in Doha, claimed, “India has offered us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariff.” He added that this was part of a broader conversation about Apple shifting production to India.

However, there is no official confirmation or documentation from the Indian government indicating any such agreement. The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry has not made any public statements supporting this claim, and no trade pact or formal negotiation record backs Trump’s assertion.

In reality, India and the United States are in ongoing trade negotiations, but these have been slow-moving and contentious, especially regarding agriculture and digital trade. While India has lowered tariffs on select US goods such as motorcycles and whiskey, a blanket waiver of all tariffs on US imports has never been on the table.

Additionally, Trump’s claim comes at a time when India is engaged in trade talks not just with the US, but also with the UK and the European Union, aiming for balanced deals that preserve sensitive sectors like agriculture and autos.

Experts note that even in ambitious “zero-for-zero” trade arrangements, full tariff eliminations are rare and usually exclude sectors critical to national interests. Therefore, a unilateral no-tariff deal from India is highly unlikely without reciprocal action from the US.

Conclusion:
There is no evidence that India has offered to drop all tariffs on US goods. Trump’s claim appears exaggerated and lacks official corroboration from Indian authorities or any documented trade framework. Ongoing talks may involve tariff reductions, but no such zero-tariff deal has been confirmed.