Hours before another round of charges goes into effect, US President Donald Trump opened a new front in his trade conflicts on Wednesday by ordering harsher tariffs on Indian imports in response to New Delhi’s ongoing purchases of Russian oil.
A further 25 percent charge that went into effect on Thursday is stacked on top of the additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods that will be implemented in three weeks, raising the threshold to 50 percent for several products.
Other nations that “directly or indirectly” import Russian oil—a vital source of funding for Moscow’s war in Ukraine—may also face sanctions under Trump’s directive.
Exemptions remain however for goods targeted under sector-specific duties such as steel and aluminum, and categories that could be hit later, like pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.
Smartphones are in this list of exempted products for now, shielding Apple from a major hit as the US tech titan shifts production from China to India.
India’s foreign ministry condemned Trump’s announcement Wednesday, calling the move “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
The ministry previously said India began importing oil from Russia as traditional supplies were diverted to Europe over the war — noting that Washington had “actively encouraged” such imports to strengthen “global energy market stability.”
However, as part of a strategy to compel Moscow into stopping its catastrophic invasion of Ukraine, Trump has threatened fresh taxes on India over the oil sales.
According to New Delhi media, India’s national security adviser visited Moscow on Wednesday, the same day that US envoy Steve Witkoff was there.
The 25 percent duty is less than the 100 percent penalty that Trump threatened to impose last month when he threatened to impose severe new economic sanctions on Russia unless it ended the war in Ukraine within 50 days.
The Republican said at the time that these would be “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, seeking to impede Moscow’s ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions.
“This marks a low point in US-India relations,” said Farwa Aamer, the Asia Society Policy Institute’s director of South Asia Initiatives.
She expects domestic pressure for India to accede to US demands, but said “this will be a tough road to navigate.”
