US President Trump announced on the 30th that he plans to impose a 25% tariff on India starting August 1st. Trump stated that while India is a friend of the United States, its high tariffs and non-tariff barriers have long prevented it from doing business with the US. India primarily purchases military equipment from Russia and is also the largest energy buyer from both Russia and China.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump announced on the 30th that he would impose a reciprocal 25% tariff on India, along with additional penalties for India’s purchases of Russian arms and energy. Trump also emphasized that the US has a significant trade deficit with India.
Trump tweeted: “Please remember, while India is our friend, we have done relatively little business with them for years because their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world, and they have the strictest and most obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country. At the same time, they have been buying most of their arms from Russia, and like China, are Russia’s largest buyer of energy at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine – all of which is not a good thing! Therefore, India will have to pay a 25% tariff, plus penalties for the above, starting August 1st. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAGA!”
