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Trump Imposes 25% Additional Trade Tariff on India Over Russian Oil Imports

Summary:

• The U.S. has imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports in response to India's purchase of Russian oil.
• India called the move "unjustified, unfair, and reckless."
• India reiterated that oil imports are vital for the energy security of its 1.4 billion citizens.

In response to the U.S. imposing a 25% additional tariff on Indian imports due to its continued purchase of Russian oil, India has strongly criticized the move, labeling it "unjustified, unfair, and reckless." The Indian government made it clear that it will do everything necessary to protect its national interests and called the increase in total duties—now reaching 50%—"deeply unfortunate."

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had warned of action against countries buying oil from Russia. Following through, he announced a 25% hike in tariffs on Indian goods, raising the overall duty to 50%. According to the executive order signed by Trump, the new tariffs will come into effect 21 days from now, starting August 27.

In an official statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said:

"Recently, the U.S. has targeted India's oil imports from Russia. We have already clarified our stance on this, including the fact that our imports are driven by market factors and serve the larger goal of ensuring energy security for our 1.4 billion citizens."

Reiterating that several other nations, including the U.S. and members of the EU, also continue to import Russian oil in their national interest, the statement added:

"It is, therefore, extremely unfortunate that the U.S. has chosen to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that many other countries are also undertaking."

The statement concluded with a firm response:

"We firmly state that this action lacks justification, is deeply unfair, and shows a disregard for responsible decision-making. India will take all necessary measures to defend its national interests."

In his executive order signed on Wednesday, Trump stated that India is importing Russian oil either directly or indirectly, suggesting that New Delhi is indirectly supporting Russia’s economy—even as Russia continues its war against U.S. ally Ukraine.

Trump didn’t stop there. He accused India of buying large quantities of Russian oil and profiting from it by reselling it on the open market.

"They don’t care how many people are being killed in Ukraine by Russia’s war machine," he said. "Therefore, I’ve decided to impose much higher tariffs on goods imported from India into the United States. I appreciate your attention to this issue."

The Republican leader also issued a warning: if any nation retaliates against these new tariffs, he reserves the right to amend the order to ensure its full effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Russia expressed support for India following Trump’s tariff announcement. Responding to the U.S. pressure campaign, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said:

"We continue to hear statements that are essentially threats, attempting to force countries to cut off trade with Russia. We do not consider such statements to be legitimate."

This isn’t the first time Trump has targeted India with tariff threats. Back in February, during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the U.S., Trump had announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs. Although the tariffs were supposed to go into effect in April, they were delayed for 90 days while both nations negotiated a bilateral trade agreement (BTA).

However, no agreement was reached before this week’s announcement of new tariffs and threats over Russian oil imports.

India, meanwhile, remains firm in its position and has stated it will not succumb to any kind of pressure tactics regarding its foreign policy decisions.