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A few days ago, electric carmaker Tesla posted job openings in India for positions like business operations analyst and customer support specialist, signaling a potential entry into the Indian market. In response, US President Donald Trump voiced strong concerns about Tesla building a factory in India to bypass the country’s high tariffs, calling it unfair to the United States.
Trump’s remarks came amid his ongoing efforts to increase tariffs. On February 13, just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral meeting with Trump at the White House, the US President announced reciprocal tariffs.
In a recent Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Trump shared that he had told Prime Minister Modi that India imposes the highest tariffs in the world. He added that it was nearly impossible for Musk to sell a car in India due to these high tariffs. “Every country in the world takes advantage of us with tariffs… It is practically impossible to sell a car in India,” Trump said. He went on to explain that while it would be acceptable for Musk to build a factory in India, it would still be unfair to the US. “If he (Musk) built the factory in India, that’s okay, but that’s unfair to us. It’s very unfair,” Trump emphasized.
Musk, who was present during the interview, discussed the matter with Trump. Recently, Tesla opened recruitment in India for roles like business operations analyst and customer support specialist, with job postings specifically for the Mumbai Suburban area. This has been seen as a sign that Tesla is preparing to enter the Indian market.
During the interview, Trump confirmed that he had discussed the issue of tariffs with Modi, saying, “I told Prime Minister Modi… we are going to be very fair with you.” When asked if India’s tariffs were at 36%, Trump responded, “Much, much higher.”
Musk chimed in, stating, “It’s 100 percent on auto imports.” Trump then made it clear that he would implement reciprocal tariffs: “Whatever you charge, I’m charging,” he said. He went on to explain that he was taking the same approach with every country. Modi, however, was reportedly not fond of the idea. Trump continued, “He (Modi) goes, ‘No, no, I don’t like that.’ I said, ‘No, no, whatever you charge, I’m going to charge.’” Musk responded, “It seems fair.”
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated live blog and has not been edited by Localtak staff.
