U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s ongoing oil imports from Russia, the White House confirmed on Wednesday.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, India has been under continuous pressure from Western nations to scale back its economic ties with Moscow. However, India has defended its stance, highlighting its long-standing relationship with Russia and its own economic priorities.
This new round of tariffs comes after Trump had already announced a 25% duty on Indian imports back in July, with American officials pointing to multiple geopolitical disagreements hindering a comprehensive U.S.-India trade agreement.
India is currently the largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude, importing approximately 1.75 million barrels per day from January to June this year — a 1% increase compared to the same period last year, according to trade data cited by Reuters.
On August 4, Trump criticized India’s actions in a social media post, accusing the country of not only purchasing large volumes of Russian oil but also reselling it on the global market for significant profits. He condemned India’s indifference towards the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating, “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine.”
In reaction to Trump’s remarks and the newly announced tariffs, India’s foreign ministry declared that the country will take “all necessary steps” to protect its national interests and economic stability. The ministry further described the targeting of India as “unjustified and unreasonable.”
These heightened tariffs could pose challenges to India’s ambition of doubling its trade volume with the United States to $500 billion by 2030.
