US President Donald Trump has announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports, which has sparked discussions around the world about “Trump Tariffs.” Trump has often referred to India as the “Tariff King,” but official data tells a different story. According to the numbers, the United States itself imposes some of the highest tariffs in the world on key imports such as dairy, tobacco, and food products. India’s average tariff rate is around 17%, while the average duty imposed on US exports to India is less than 5%—far lower than Trump’s claims.
What the data shows
The top 100 American export items accounted for 75% of India’s imports from the US worth $42.2 billion in 2023–24. Most of these products attract duties much lower than India’s overall average tariff rate.
According to a World Trade Organization (WTO) report, the US imposes extremely high duties such as 350% on tobacco, 200% on dairy products, and over 130% on fruits, vegetables, and grains. By comparison, India’s tariffs—such as 150% on whisky and wine or 125% on certain automobiles—are similar to those in other countries, like Japan (400% on rice) and South Korea (tariffs as high as 887% on some products).
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Trade data discrepancies
Meanwhile, mismatches in trade statistics have further complicated negotiations. US trade figures consistently show higher imports from India compared to India’s own export data. For example, in 2024, Washington reported $87.4 billion worth of imports from India, whereas India recorded only $80.7 billion—a gap of $6.7 billion. In 2023, a similar difference of $8 billion was recorded.
India’s Commerce and Revenue departments are working to reconcile these figures. According to an Economic Times report, global trade databases rely on India’s self-reported tariff data, while the US often uses WTO records. These differences in data sources are increasing the discrepancies, which could distort trade talks.