“These Are Bullsh*t Numbers”: Trump Clashed With Commerce Secretary Over India Tariffs, Book Claims

Long before India and the United States reached a breakthrough trade agreement, President Donald Trump was reportedly engaged in an intense internal battle over how his administration viewed India's tariff policies. A new book detailing Trump's presidency claims the US leader repeatedly rejected official government figures and believed India was imposing much steeper duties on American products than what his own officials reported.

Trump Rejected Official Numbers On India

According to Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Trump grew increasingly frustrated while seeking details about tariffs imposed by major trading partners, including India and China.

The book recounts a tense exchange in which Trump demanded precise figures from his administration.

"Nobody has f***ing given me any numbers. Hard facts of how much China tariffs us, how much India tariffs us. You give me bullshit numbers," Trump was quoted as saying.

The confrontation escalated when Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick presented tariff data compiled by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Trump reportedly dismissed the figures outright.

"No, these are bullshit numbers," repeated Trump, calling government data "f***ing bullshit," despite Lutnick's best attempt to convince the US president.

The authors claim Trump was convinced India's tariffs on US products were around 175 per cent or even higher, far above the official estimates available to his administration.

India Labelled A High-Tariff Economy

The perception that India maintained excessive trade barriers was shared by several senior members of Trump's administration. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was among those who criticised New Delhi's tariff structure, reportedly referring to India as the "maharaja of tariffs."

The White House later echoed similar concerns in a fact sheet accompanying the interim India-US trade arrangement. It stated that India imposed some of the highest tariffs faced by American exporters among major economies.

According to the document, agricultural products faced average tariffs of about 37 per cent, while certain automobile categories attracted duties exceeding 100 per cent.

Tariff War Deepened India-US Frictions

The disagreement over tariff levels played a significant role in Trump's wider trade strategy. Ahead of his "Liberation Day" tariff initiative, India was hit with a 25 per cent tariff by the United States.

Tensions rose further in August 2025 when Trump accused India of indirectly supporting Russia's war effort through continued imports of Russian crude oil.

Claiming that India was "fueling Putin's war in Ukraine", Trump imposed another 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods. The move pushed total US tariffs on Indian exports to 50 per cent.

As a result, India joined countries such as Brazil and China among those facing the highest tariff rates from Washington.

The dispute strained diplomatic ties and complicated trade negotiations. It also came during a period of heightened tensions following Operation Sindoor, during which Trump publicly claimed credit for preventing a possible conflict between India and Pakistan. Several planned trade-related visits between officials from both countries were subsequently called off.

Trade Agreement Marks A Turnaround

After months of friction, New Delhi and Washington announced on February 2, 2026, that they had agreed on the framework of a bilateral trade deal.

While the complete details have not yet been released, the agreement is expected to significantly reduce tariffs between the two nations. Once implemented, tariffs imposed on Indian exports are expected to drop to 18 per cent.

The White House said India had also agreed to lower duties on a range of American goods, including dried distillers' grains, red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine, spirits and several other agricultural products.

The fact sheet stated: "President Trump agreed to remove the additional 25% tariff on imports from India in recognition of India's commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil. Accordingly, the President signed an Executive Order last Friday removing that additional 25% tariff."

Although a final implementation schedule has not been announced, negotiations appear to be nearing completion. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recently held discussions with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal as both sides worked towards finalising the agreement.