Trump Slaps 25% Tariffs Plus Penalty on ‘Friend’ India

• US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff plus a penalty on India, effective August 1, citing India’s high tariffs and trade barriers.
• Trump also criticized India’s continued purchase of Russian weapons and energy amidst the Ukraine war.
• The move drew sharp criticism from Indian political figures, with a Congress MP calling it a “failure of Centre’s foreign policy.”

GG News Bureau
Washington, 30th July: In a major escalation of trade tensions, US President Donald Trump today announced a 25 per cent tariff, plus an additional penalty, on imports from India. The announcement, made on his social media platform Truth Social, comes just two days ahead of an August 1 deadline for reciprocal tariffs.

President Trump stated, “Over the years, we have done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country.” Earlier in the day, he had hinted at a 20 to 25 per cent tariff, with the final levy still under negotiation for a trade deal. Hours later, he confirmed the 25 per cent figure along with a penalty.

Beyond trade barriers, the US President also criticized India’s continued purchase of Russian weapons and energy, particularly amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The decision has elicited strong reactions in India. Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla told NDTV that Donald Trump’s announcement would have a “major impact on the Indian market” and labeled it a “failure of Centre’s foreign policy.” Another Congress MP asserted that the “People of India won’t bow down before America.”

Meanwhile, a team from the US is scheduled to visit India on August 25 for the next round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement, despite the impending August 1 tariff deadline. The official stated that both sides remain engaged in discussions for an interim trade deal. August 1 marks the end of the suspension period for tariffs previously imposed by President Trump on various countries, including India, which had faced a 26 per cent reciprocal tariff.