Trump Cites Harley-Davidson & India's High Import Duty, Gets Facts Wrong

"They told me - without even complaining because they have been mistreated for so long that they have become used to it - that it is very hard to do business with other countries because they tax our goods at such a high rate," Trump said. "They said that in one case another country taxed their motorcycles at 100 per cent."

"We must create a level playing field for American companies and our workers. When foreign companies ship their products into America, we charge them nothing or almost nothing," Trump said.

Harley Davidson bikes attract 100 per cent import duty in India

But the fact is that despite the tariff, Harley's sales have grown by over 30 per cent in the past two years, and Harley-Davidson dealerships have increased to 27 in 17 cities across India since the cult American brand started operations in India. In the Indian premium motorcycle space, Harley-Davidson has a market share of over 50 per cent in the segments ranging from 800 cc bikes to over 1600 cc bikes. And H-D India's completely built units (CBUs), bikes which are imported as finished products and are eligible for the 100 per cent import duty, account for just over 20 per cent of average bikes sold by Harley in India. And these CBUs are only the more expensive touring range, while Harley-Davidson India's bulk of sales come from the made in India Street 750.

When contacted by CarandBike.com, Harley-Davidson did not elaborate on the significance of the tariff rates but said in a statement, "Among the issues discussed during our visit with President Trump was taxes in excess of 100 percent in countries like Indonesia and India that place companies like ours at a competitive disadvantage in a global economy. The biggest opportunity for Harley-Davidson, growth-wise, is in international markets. We are interested in trade policies that address barriers to international growth. Through lower taxes and tariffs, Harley-Davidson can reinvest and pass along savings to riders."

In 2016, Harley-Davidson reported its best-ever retail sales in the Asia Pacific region as well as Europe, Middle East and Africa, growing by over 5.9 per cent. And the Milwaukee-headquartered motorcycle brand will be looking at developing more dealerships outside the United States and reaching out to new markets, Harley-Davidson CEO Mark Levatich had said in early February.

Clearly, the focus will be on export markets and India will continue to be an important market where the premium motorcycle space of over 500 cc is seeing double digit growth year on year, with premium bikes available even on easy finance schemes. The demand to reduce import tariffs will not only help Harley-Davidson but make all luxury motorcycles all the more affordable to the Indian consumer. And that is a demand voiced by most premium motorcycle brands in India.