A significant escalation in US-India trade relations has occurred as President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports, prompting a strong reaction from New Delhi. The move, which includes an added 25% tariff for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, has sparked debate about the implications and the motivations behind it.
At a White House press briefing, President Trump addressed the criticism, hinting at further sanctions. He said, “It’s only been about 8 hours. So we’ll see what happens. You’re going to see a lot more… You’re going to see a lot of secondary bans.”
When questioned about why India was targeted with the additional tariffs, Trump suggested similar measures might be taken against China, a major trading partner with Russia. Trump responded, “It may happen. I don’t know, I can’t tell you yet. But we did it with India. We are doing it probably with a couple of others, one of them could be China.”
Before these actions, Nikki Haley, a leader in Trump’s party, advocated for India, highlighting its importance as a U.S. ally. She urged against granting China any exemptions, pointing out that China is also a major purchaser of Russian oil. Haley stated on social media that China shouldn’t receive special treatment, and the U.S. should not harm its relationship with a vital ally like India.
The additional 25% tariff, which will begin on August 27, comes after Trump had previously threatened India with penalties over its purchases of Russian energy and military equipment. Indian exporters will be particularly impacted, facing disadvantages compared to those from other nations.
India has strongly condemned the new tariffs, describing them as “unfair and imprudent.” The Indian government has previously raised concerns about being unfairly singled out by the U.S. and the European Union over its trade relations with Russia.