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Trump raises India tariffs to 50% following threats over Russian oil purchases

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 06 August 2025 6:11 PM

US President Donald Trump has announced an additional 25 percent tariff on imports from India, bringing total levies against one of Washington's most important trading partners to 50 percent.

The US president has threatened India with very substantial tariffs to pressure New Delhi to stop buying oil from Russia.

Trump has accused India of funding Russia's war on Ukraine via oil imports.

In an executive order issued on Wednesday, Trump said he determined "that it is necessary and appropriate to impose an additional ad valorem duty on imports of articles of India, which is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil."

The new tariffs will go into effect later this month, while a previously announced 25 percent tariff is set to be enforced starting Thursday.

Last week, Trump had threatened that goods from India would be subject to steep tariffs, including a "penalty" over the country's continued purchases of military equipment and energy from Russia.

India, which has described the tariffs as "unjustified and unreasonable," vowed to take "all necessary measures" to safeguard its "national interests and economic security."

Security and strategic affairs expert Commodore Uday Bhaskar said the US had chosen to weaponize trade tariffs in a "unilateral and abrasive" manner. "That is intimidation. And yes... trust in Washington is low and the disappointment is high," he said.

India, however, "will not be bullied by tariffs, tantrums, or threats," said Amitabh Mattoo, dean of the School of International Studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.

India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, now buys more than a third of its oil from Russia. Citing its longstanding ties with Moscow and domestic economic needs, it has so far resisted pressure from the West to distance itself from Russia.

Trump has also threatened new sanctions not only on Russia but also on countries that continue to buy its energy exports — unless Moscow takes steps to end the war in Ukraine.