Trump announces 25% tariff on Indian imports from Aug 1
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced plans to introduce a 25% tariff on imports from India, along with an additional import tax due to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
Posting on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said that while India is "our friend", its tariffs on American goods are "far too high".
The Republican leader also criticised India for buying military equipment and oil from Russia, claiming this supports the ongoing war in Ukraine. He also criticised India’s "obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers.” As a result, he said he would introduce an extra “penalty” starting this Friday, as part of a broader update to tariffs on multiple countries.
India has not yet reacted to Trump’s announcement.
A US delegation is set to visit India next month for the next round of negotiations on the proposed bilateral trade agreement.
Last week, Indian and US teams concluded the fifth round of talks for the agreement in Washington.
India’s chief negotiator, Rajesh Agrawal, the Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce, and Brendan Lynch, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, led the discussions.
India maintains close ties with Russia and has not backed Western sanctions against Moscow in response to the conflict in Ukraine. Earlier on April 22, Trump imposed a tariff of 26 per cent on Indian goods imported to the US, before announcing a pause on those "reciprocal" levies.
(with AP and PTI inputs)