Trump Claims 250% Tariffs Prevented War Between India and Pakistan
Recently, US President Donald Trump asserted at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea that he successfully prevented a war between India and Pakistan by threatening to impose tariffs of 250% on both nations, according to a Reuters report.
President Trump stated that India and Pakistan were on the brink of war, with seven aircraft shot down, and that hostilities had genuinely commenced. He claimed he promptly telephoned the leaders of both countries, warning that unless they ceased hostilities, the United States would sever trade ties and impose substantial tariffs.
Addressing trade agreements with several Asian nations during his speech, President Trump elaborated: I said I would impose 250% tariffs on both countries, meaning you'd never be able to do business with us... That's putting it mildly-it essentially means we don't want to do business with you.
This is not the first time President Trump has made such remarks regarding mediation in the Indo-Pakistani conflict, though India has previously denied related claims. At the time of writing, neither country's foreign ministry had responded to his latest statement.
President Trump also revealed that both India and Pakistan initially rejected his ceasefire proposal. However, he stated that two days later, both nations contacted him again expressing willingness to halt hostilities.
It is noteworthy that the US has adopted inconsistent approaches towards India and Pakistan regarding tariffs. The US has imposed a 25% tariff on India, citing its continued purchases of Russian oil, resulting in total tariffs reaching 50% on certain goods. Meanwhile, the US has reduced Pakistan's tariff rate from an initial 29% to 19%.
Refusal to Reopen Negotiations with Canada
In a separate development, Agence France-Presse reported from Washington on 31 October that US President Donald Trump categorically rejected any resumption of trade talks with Canada.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, President Trump stated he held Prime Minister Mark Carney in high regard but condemned Canada's actions as misguided. When asked whether Carney's 'apology' might prompt negotiations to resume, he replied bluntly: 'No.'
A week prior, on 23 October, President Trump announced the suspension of trade talks with Canada, citing dissatisfaction with an advertisement sponsored by the Ontario provincial government. He accused Canada of 'deceptively' claiming former US President Ronald Reagan opposed tariffs.
On 25 October, President Trump further stated that due to Ontario's television advertisements targeting US tariff hikes, he intended to impose an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from Canada on top of existing duties.
The breakdown in trade talks marks a sharp shift in relations between the two historic allies since President Trump's return to the White House in January.
Canada is America's second-largest trading partner and a major supplier of steel and aluminium to US firms. Although most cross-border trade remains duty-free under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Ottawa has been hit hard by President Trump's global surcharges on certain industries.