On the 4th, US President Trump stated that, given New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil, he would “sharply increase” tariffs on Indian exports to the United States, further escalating his pressure on this major trading partner.
Trump himself posted on Truth Social, saying, “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, but is also reselling much of it on the open market to make big money. They simply do not care how many people Russia’s war machine kills in Ukraine. Therefore, I will sharply increase tariffs paid by India to the US.”
After months of negotiations failed to yield a breakthrough, Trump announced on July 3rd a 25% tariff on Indian exports, shocking New Delhi. Trump also warned that if India continued to buy Russian oil, it would face even more tariffs. However, he did not specify the exact extent of the hike in his post.
India has been a main target of Trump’s efforts to pressure for an end to the Ukraine war, but New Delhi has remained tough. Indian Prime Minister Modi, who once had friendly relations with Trump, responded to US threats by calling on citizens to support domestic products and indicating that his government would continue purchasing Russian oil.
India: Europe and the US Trade with Russia Too
India’s foreign ministry spokesperson later released a statement on social media, noting: “Attacks on India are neither fair nor reasonable.” The statement accused both the EU and the US of trading with Russia, noting that those transactions “are not even out of urgent national necessity,” and said that India would “take all necessary steps to safeguard national interests and national security.”
Indian officials stated: “India’s imports aim to ensure that domestic consumers have access to predictable and affordable energy prices,” emphasizing that this is “a necessary measure under current global market conditions.”