India brags about having 1.4 billion people but won’t buy one bushel of U.S. corn: Lutnick

India brags about having 1.4 billion people but gained’t buy even a small quantity of American corn, United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has mentioned, asserting that New Delhi should deliver down its tariffs or face a “tough time” doing enterprise with the U.S.

Mr. Lutnick made the feedback throughout an interview on Saturday (September 13, 2025) when he was requested whether or not the U.S. is mismanaging “very valuable relationships” with “important allies” like India, Canada and Brazil with the tariffs imposed on these international locations.

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“The relationship is one way, they sell to us and take advantage of us. They block us from their economy, and they sell to us while we are wide open for them to come in [and] take advantage,” Mr. Lutnick mentioned. “The president says, ‘fair and reciprocal trade’,” he added.

“India brags that they have 1.4 billion people. Why won’t 1.4 billion people buy one bushel of U.S. corn? Doesn’t that rub you the wrong way that they sell everything to us and they won’t buy our corn. They put tariffs on everything,” Mr. Lutnick mentioned.

‘President’s model’

He added that President Donald Trump has mentioned “‘bring down your tariffs, treat us the way we treat you’”. The Commerce Secretary additional added “we’ve got to right years of wrong so we want a tariff going the other way until we fix this”.

“That’s the President’s model, and you either accept it or you’re going to have a tough time doing business with the world’s greatest consumer,” Mr. Lutnick mentioned.

The Trump administration has imposed 50% tariffs on India, together with 25% for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, among the many highest imposed on any nation on the earth.

India has described the U.S. motion as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”. Defending its buy of Russian crude oil, India has been sustaining that its vitality procurement is pushed by nationwide curiosity and market dynamics.