Trump threatens 'very severe tariffs' on Indian rice and Canadian fertiliser imports | VIDEO

Washington: US President Donald Trump indicated Monday he may impose new tariffs on agricultural imports, targeting Indian rice and Canadian fertiliser, amid stalled trade talks with both nations.

Speaking at the White House while announcing USD 12 billion in aid for American farmers, Trump vowed to address alleged dumping hurting domestic producers. "They shouldn't be dumping," he said of Indian rice imports, which farmers claim, alongside those from Vietnam and Thailand, undercut local prices. "I mean, I heard that, I heard that from others. You can't do that."

Trump also flagged fertiliser from Canada, suggesting severe tariffs to boost US production. "A lot of it does come in from Canada, and so we'll end up putting very severe tariffs on that, if we have to, because that's the way you want to bolster here," he stated. "And we can do it here. We can all do that here."

The comments highlight ongoing economic strains, including inflation worries and rising costs for Trump's key farmer base, exacerbated by prior tariff policies.

Talks to stabilise trade with India and Canada face hurdles. Trump earlier slapped 50% tariffs on Indian goods over trade barriers and energy buys, with a US team visiting India this week, but no breakthroughs are expected. He has also threatened Canada with higher duties outside the North American trade deal and hinted at revisiting the pact.

With inputs from ANI