‘Nothing Changes’: Trump On India Trade Deal After US Supreme Court Blocks His Tariffs
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Last Updated:February 21, 2026, 00:56 IST
'Nothing Changes': Trump On India Trade Deal After US Supreme Court Blocks His Tariffs
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US President Donald Trump on Friday insisted that America’s trade arrangement with India would remain intact despite a major judicial setback to his tariff policy, saying New Delhi would continue to “face tariffs while the US would not."
“Nothing changes. They will be paying tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs," Trump said while referring to India.
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Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a great man," Trump claimed India had previously enjoyed an unfair advantage in trade with the US.
“He was much smarter than the people he was against… India was ripping us off. We made a deal with India. It is a fair deal now. We did a little flip," he added.
Under the trade framework discussed earlier, the reciprocal tariff on India is expected to be reduced to 18 per cent. So far, New Delhi has not yet issued any official response to the developments.
Trump’s remarks came moments after he announced a fresh round of global trade measures, declaring a 10 per cent tariff under Section 122, over and above existing duties.
The move followed a ruling by the US Supreme Court that struck down his earlier sweeping tariff orders.
“Effective immediately, all national security tariffs under Section 232 and existing Section 301 tariffs remain in place," Trump said.
“Today, I will sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122 over and above our normal tariffs already being charged."
Trump On India Visit
Asked whether he would visit India for the Quad summit and how he viewed ties with New Delhi, US President Donald Trump struck an upbeat note on bilateral relations.
“I think my relationship with India is fantastic and we are doing trade with India," Trump said, adding that New Delhi had responded to his concerns on energy purchases.
“India pulled out of Russia, getting its oil from Russia. They pulled back on my request because we want to settle a horrible war, when 25,000 people are dying every month," he said.
Trump also underscored his personal ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “My relationship with Modi is great," and claimed credit for easing tensions in the region. “I also stopped the India-Pakistan war," he added.
Trump Criticises Court Ruling
Reacting sharply to the court’s decision, Trump said the ruling would not derail his trade agenda and argued that he now had “stronger" alternatives to raise revenue.
He also alleged that foreign interests had influenced the verdict and claimed other countries were celebrating the setback to his tariff plans.
“The court has been swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think," Trump said. “They’re dancing in the streets, but they won’t be dancing for long."
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court delivered a significant blow to Trump’s tariff strategy, ruling in a 6-3 verdict that his administration had imposed global tariffs without lawful authority.
The court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not give the president the power to unilaterally impose broad, across-the-board tariffs.
The 1977 law allows the executive to regulate certain international economic transactions during a national emergency, but does not extend to blanket tariff measures, the court said. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.
Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said Congress has historically delegated tariff-setting powers only in “explicit terms and subject to strict limits," warning that a broader reading of IEEPA would amount to a major expansion of presidential authority.
The newly announced global tariff under Section 122, known as a balance-of-payments tariff, can remain in force for up to 150 days, after which it would require approval from the US Congress to continue.
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