US President Trump will double tariffs on India to 50% this month, punishing New Delhi for buying Russian oil, citing its continued imports of Moscow’s energy.
WHY IT MATTERS
This sharp escalation comes on top of a previous 25% tariff set to take effect overnight, effectively doubling the trade penalty. The move follows failed US–Russia talks over the Ukraine war and deepening tensions between Washington and New Delhi. India’s energy ties with Moscow — and its role in the Brics bloc — are now at the centre of a growing geopolitical rift.
IN NUMBERS
- 25% — Additional tariff rate imposed by Trump on Indian goods.
- 21 days — Time until the new duties take effect.
- 25% — Existing country-specific tariff already scheduled to start overnight.
IN DEPTH
The measure stacks on top of the existing 25% tariffs already set to take effect, doubling the penalty for affected Indian exports. The order frames India’s Russian oil trade as part of an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security, putting New Delhi in the crosshairs of Washington’s Russia sanctions policy. It also signals to other countries that buying Russian crude could bring similar US trade retaliation.
Signed on August 6, the executive order uses emergency powers under US law. It expands earlier measures that banned Russian oil imports and targeted Moscow’s hostile actions abroad.
Trump says India is “directly or indirectly” importing Russian Oil, either buying it outright or through intermediaries. In the White House’s view, those purchases help fund Russia’s war in Ukraine and prolong the conflict.
BIG PICTURE
This is the most aggressive trade move against India since Trump’s first term. This move is the sharpest escalation in US–India trade tensions in years. In 2019, Trump stripped India of special tariff-free treatment under the Generalised System of Preferences. Now, the White House is framing India’s energy policy as a direct challenge to US foreign policy on Russia.
WHAT THEY SAID
“They’re fuelling the war machine. And if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy.” — Donald Trump, US President
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