US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India.
Hours after imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, bringing the total tariff to 50 per cent, US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to India regarding its ongoing oil trade with Russia. He hinted that more “secondary sanctions” could be imposed shortly on India over its continued purchase of oil from Russia.
Trump’s remarks come amid mounting US pressure on nations to reduce or sever economic ties with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
‘You’re going to see a lot more’: Trump
“It’s only been eight hours. So let’s see what happens. You’re going to see a lot more. You’re going to see so much secondary sanctions,” said Trump during a press briefing at the White House, when asked about why India was being singled out for additional sanctions while countries like China also continue to buy Russian oil.
It is pertinent to mention that India imports 88 per cent of the crude from overseas. Before the beginning of the Ukraine war in 2022, India used to buy just 0.2 per cent of all crude oil from Russia. However, Russia has now become India’s largest oil supplier. In July, India imported 1.6 million barrels of oil a day from Russia, according to a report by news agency PTI.
Trump imposes additional 25% tariffs on India
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India.
According to the order issued by the White House, Trump cited matters of national security and foreign policy concerns, as well as other relevant trade laws, for the increase, claiming that India’s imports of Russian oil, directly or indirectly, pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States.
After the order, the total tariff on Indian goods will be 50 per cent. While the initial duty comes into effect on August 7, the additional levy will come into effect after 21 days and will be imposed on all Indian goods imported into the US, except for goods already in transit or those meeting specific exemptions.
India slams US tariff hike as ‘unfair and unjustified’
Just hours after the US President announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strong and clear response calling the move “extremely unfortunate”. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the US decision to target India for actions that many other countries are also undertaking in their national interest is deeply “unfair and unjustified.”
“These actions are unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” Jaiswal said while reiterating India’s firm stance on defending its economic sovereignty. He further added that India will take all necessary steps to safeguard its national interests and ensure that its industries and economy are not adversely affected by such unilateral measures.
Also Read: ‘Could happen’: Trump mulls imposing tariffs on China over Russian oil purchase
Also Read: India slams US tariff hike as ‘unfair and unjustified’, vows to protect national interest
