Trump Slaps 25% Tariff on India, Cites Russia Ties and Trade Imbalance

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a 25% tariff on imports from India, effective August 1, citing India’s continued purchases of oil and military equipment from Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump referred to India as a “friend” but criticized what he called unfair trade practices. “While India is our friend, we have, over the years, 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,” he wrote.

Trump further accused New Delhi of undermining global efforts to isolate Russia. “India has always bought a vast majority of its military equipment from Russia and is one of Russia’s largest energy buyers, along with China,” he said, adding that this was occurring “at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine.”

He concluded with a warning: “India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25%, plus a penalty for the above, starting on August 1. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAGA!”

More Penalties to Follow?

The move comes days after U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham warned that Trump was preparing to impose heavy tariffs on countries continuing to buy Russian oil — specifically naming India, China, and Brazil. Graham said such trade was enabling President Vladimir Putin’s war machine and that Trump would seek to impose tariffs as high as 100% on those countries.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also weighed in recently, cautioning nations doing business with Moscow about the possibility of severe tariffs and sanctions. India, China, and Brazil were named as key targets.

Tariff Talks and Trade Deal Uncertainty

Trump’s announcement follows weeks of speculation about how steep the tariffs on India would be. Earlier this week, he hinted at rates between 20–25% but left the final figure unclear.

“India has been a good friend,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. “But India has charged more tariffs than almost any other country… You just can’t do that.”

India and the U.S. have been in ongoing discussions about a bilateral trade deal. However, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently emphasized that India would only enter agreements that align with its national interest. “India does not enter trade agreements based on deadlines,” Goyal said.

Under Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff plan, India was initially slated to face a 26% duty, but the White House granted a 90-day reprieve to allow for trade talks. That extension expired on July 9, after which Trump granted a final extension until August 1.

As things stand, unless a breakthrough is reached in the coming days, the 25% tariff and additional penalty will take effect as scheduled.