President Donald Trump defended his tough tariff policy during his first address in a joint session of Congress. He stressed that the US has long faced high tariffs from several countries, including India.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t make your product in America under my administration, you will pay a tariff, and in some cases, a large one,\u201d Trump said. He argued that other nations have used tariffs against the US for decades, and now it was time for America to do the same.<\/p>\n

Calling the situation unfair, Trump listed countries that impose high tariffs on the US. He named the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico, and Canada. \u201cThese nations charge us tremendously high tariffs compared to what we charge them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Trump singled out India, stating, \u201cIndia charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 percent.\u201d He also pointed out that China\u2019s average tariff on US products was twice what the US charges, while South Korea\u2019s was four times higher.<\/p>\n

Announcing a strong response, Trump said the US would impose reciprocal tariffs starting April 2. He joked that he avoided April 1 to prevent any association with April Fools\u2019 Day. \u201cOn April 2, reciprocal tariffs kick in. Whatever they tariff us, we will tariff them. If they use non-monetary tariffs to block us, we will do the same,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s announcement drew a standing ovation from his supporters in Congress. The new tariffs follow the US decision to proceed with a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico, its two major trade partners. The US also doubled tariffs on Chinese goods from 10 percent to 20 percent, citing China\u2019s alleged inaction on fentanyl production.<\/p>\n

With these moves, Trump aims to level the playing field and push for fairer trade deals. The impact of these tariffs will unfold in the coming months as affected nations respond.<\/p>\n