President Donald Trump has issued an executive order implementing a 25% tariff increase on Indian imports, as announced on the White House website. This brings the total import duties on Indian goods to 50%. The U.S. president justified the additional tariffs by citing India's direct and indirect oil purchases from Russia.
Trump stated the measure aims to address security threats posed by Russia to the United States. He also warned that similar tariffs could apply to other nations purchasing Russian oil.
This follows Trump's earlier decision on August 1 to impose 25% tariffs on Indian goods, when he criticized New Delhi for acquiring military hardware and energy resources from Moscow despite global calls for Russia to halt its actions in Ukraine.
In response, India's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. move, pointing out Washington's ongoing trade relations with Russia. Officials explained that India turned to Russian oil after traditional suppliers redirected exports to Europe following the Ukraine conflict.