U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the imposition of a 25 per cent tariff, along with additional penalties, on imports from India, effective August 1. He cited India’s continued oil trade with Russia and longstanding trade restrictions as primary reasons for the decision.
In a post on his platform, Truth Social, Trump stated that while India is considered a friend, the trade relationship between the two countries has been hindered by high tariffs and restrictive non-monetary barriers.
“Remember, 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,” he wrote.
Trump also criticized India’s defense and energy ties with Russia, saying, “They have always bought the vast majority of their military equipment from Russia and are one of Russia’s largest energy buyers, along with China, at a time when the world wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine — all things not good!”
He concluded the post by stating, “India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25 per cent, plus a penalty for the above, starting on August 1st. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAGA!”
In a separate post, Trump claimed that the U.S. has a “massive trade deficit with India” and declared August 1 “a great day for America.”
The announcement follows earlier comments from Trump indicating that a trade deal with India had not been finalized. When asked if India would face tariffs between 20 per cent and 25 per cent, he responded, “Yeah, I think so. India has been; they’re my friends.”
Despite months of trade discussions between U.S. and Indian officials, no agreement has been reached. Trump has consistently pushed for greater access for American goods in the Indian market and has frequently criticized India’s high import duties and its commercial ties with Russia.
Notably, a 26 per cent tariff on Indian goods was previously announced on April 2 but was paused shortly after. The new tariff decision revives and intensifies those earlier measures as part of Trump’s broader push for what he calls “reciprocal” trade policies.
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