Nothing changes for India: Donald Trump's big statement on trade deal after US Supreme Court strikes down tariffs

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that there will be no change in the India-US trade deal. His comments come after he announced a 10% global tariffs post the US Supreme Court deeming his reciprocal tariffs as illegal. Trump said that India will continue to pay the tariffs that have been decided, and the US will not pay any tariffs.

Asked about the impact of the Supreme Court verdict on the India-US trade agreement that is being finalised, Trump said, "Nothing changes, they'll be paying tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs. So, the deal with India is they pay tariffs. This is a reversal for what it used to be. I think Prime Minister Modi is a great gentleman, a great man, actually, but he was much smarter than the people that he was against in terms of the United States. He was ripping us off, India. So we made a deal with India, it's a fair deal now, and we are not paying tariffs to them and they are paying tariffs. We did a little flip."

India-US Trade Deal:

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced agreeing to a trade deal. Under the proposed framework, the US will impose an 18% tariff on Indian exports to the US. Trump has said that the duties on US exports will come down to zero.

Also Read | Donald Trump announces 10% global tariffs after SC deems his reciprocal tariffs illegal

Soon after, India and the United States issued a joint statement outlining the contours of their interim trade arrangement. At the same time, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the 25% tariffs earlier imposed on India over its purchases of Russian crude oil.

With the revised 18 percent tariff rate, India said it secured a relative edge over several regional competitors in labour-intensive, export-oriented industries. The new rate is lower than those applied to countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Pakistan and Indonesia, and marks a reduction from the 50% tariff level introduced by the Trump administration in August 2025.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that the agreement provides Indian exporters access to a $30 trillion market. He added that the interim arrangement is expected to deliver significant gains to MSMEs, as well as to farmers and fishermen.

Earlier this week it was reported that a delegation is expected to travel to the US in the coming days to finalise the interim trade deal.

Trump's Angry Reaction to Supreme Court Verdict

On Friday, the US Supreme Court invalidated President Donald Trump’s worldwide tariffs, delivering a sharp setback to a policy central to his economic platform.

Angered by the outcome, Trump responded by announcing plans to introduce a uniform 10% global tariff through a different statutory route, noting that the alternative law would limit such duties to a period of 150 days. He said he would continue advancing his trade agenda using other available mechanisms.

Also Read | Why were Trump tariffs ruled illegal by Supreme Court? Top points from what SC said in its ruling

His remarks came after he strongly criticized the Supreme Court for dismantling much of his tariff framework, which the justices determined had been enacted through an improper use of emergency authority.

Trump said he felt “absolutely ashamed” of the justices who voted against his measures and described the judgment as “deeply disappointing.”

He maintained that the ruling was wrong but added that it would not halt his efforts, asserting that other powerful options remain at his disposal.