President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that the United States may significantly increase tariffs on Indian imports within the next 24 hours, citing New Delhi’s continued energy and defense cooperation with Russia.
“We don’t do much business with India because their tariffs are too high,” Trump said. “We agreed on 25%, but I think I’m going to raise it considerably in the next 24 hours because they are buying Russian oil.”
The Biden-imposed 25% tariff on Indian imports is set to take effect on August 7. Trump’s comments suggest an even steeper hike may follow, along with an additional “penalty” tied to India’s ongoing ties with Moscow.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded by calling the accusations “unfair and unreasonable,” and defended the country’s energy strategy, citing global market conditions and national interest.
The dispute adds fresh tension to U.S.-India trade relations, which had recently shown signs of improvement amid efforts to finalize a broader bilateral deal.
