‘Not going to let that...’: Donald Trump issues warning for ‘tremendous tariff-makers’ India, China

US President Donald Trump slammed India, China, and Brazil as "tremendous tariff-makers" on January 28, vowing that his administration would not allow this to continue. He emphasized, “We’re not going to let that happen anymore because we’re going to put America first.”

Trump pledged to impose tariffs on countries that “harm” the United States, singling out these three nations — key members of the BRICS bloc — while acknowledging that they were acting in their own national interests.

“We’re going to put tariffs on countries that really mean harm to us. They may want to make their countries better, but they harm us in the process,” Trump said during a speech to House Republicans at a Florida retreat.

“China is a tremendous tariff-maker, and India, Brazil, and so many others. But we’re not going to let that happen anymore… because we’re going to put America first,” he declared.

The statement came shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Washington, with a potential meeting scheduled as early as next month. The two leaders had a phone conversation Monday night, though it’s unclear if tariffs were discussed, though New Delhi’s stance on "illegal immigrants" was.

Trump’s comments on India and tariffs may raise concerns, as he previously criticized India—America’s largest trading partner — as a "very big abuser" during his campaign.

The US President reiterated his goal of establishing a “fair system” to quickly make the US “richer and more powerful.” He added, “Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.”

Trump also warned that foreign companies, whether from India, China, Brazil, or elsewhere, would need to “build your plant right here in America” to avoid these high tariffs.