U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the introduction of a 25% tariff on imports from India starting August 1, as well as unspecified penalties for continuing to purchase energy resources from Russia.
He made the announcement on the social media platform Truth Social, according to Ukrinform.
“While India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country. Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of energy, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine — all things not good! India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25%, plus a penalty for the above, starting on August 1,” Trump wrote.
Bloomberg adds that Trump’s statement came ahead of the August 1 deadline he set for imposing new import tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners.
These tariffs, announced by Trump, undermine New Delhi’s hopes for preferential treatment compared to its regional counterparts.
India was among the first to enter trade talks with Washington following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile visit to the White House in February.
For most of this year, Modi’s government adopted a conciliatory approach toward Trump, offering several trade and immigration concessions to the U.S. administration.
However, in recent weeks, New Delhi has taken a tougher stance, as negotiations stalled over contentious issues, particularly in agriculture.
Photo: White House
Source: Trump announces 25% tariff on imports from India, penalties for buying Russian energy
