New Delhi - Saba:
US President Donald Trump imposed new 25 percent tariffs on Indian products on Wednesday, along with an undisclosed penalty, due to New Delhi's continued purchases of arms and energy from Russia. The measures are scheduled to take effect on Friday, along with other tariff increases that could reach 50 percent on some products.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the deadline for implementing these measures will be August 1, stressing that the deadline "will not be extended," after it had been postponed several times since the initial announcement last April. In a separate post, Trump noted that India, despite being a friendly country, relies on "very high tariffs" and non-monetary trade barriers that are "the most severe and odious in the world," limiting trade with it, as he put it.
Trump also strongly criticized India's continued purchases of arms and energy from Russia, asserting that it is one of Moscow's largest customers, along with China, despite international calls to end the war in Ukraine. These measures are part of a pressure campaign led by Trump to restrict Russia's ability to continue its war against Ukraine. He said he would give Russian President Vladimir Putin ten days to change course or face new tariffs.
Trump had previously threatened to impose what he called "secondary tariffs" on Russia's trading partners, including China and India, to limit its ability to circumvent Western sanctions.
Despite these decisions, the Indian government affirmed on Wednesday that it would continue to pursue a "fair and balanced trade agreement that benefits both parties," indicating its desire to avoid escalation and engage in negotiations with Washington.