Trump says US to hike India’s tariffs over Russian oil buys

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NATHAN HOWARD

US President Donald Trump stated he can be “considerably elevating” the tariff on Indian exports to the US over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, ramping up his menace to focus on a serious buying and selling accomplice.

“India will not be solely shopping for large quantities of Russian Oil, they’re then, for a lot of the Oil bought, promoting it on the Open Marketplace for large earnings,” Trump wrote on his Reality Social platform Monday. “They don’t care how many individuals in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian Battle Machine. Due to this, I can be considerably elevating the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”

Trump’s submit didn’t specify how a lot he would elevate the levy by. Trump final week introduced a 25% charge on Indian exports, surprising New Delhi after months of negotiations didn’t safe a breakthrough. He additionally threatened extra motion if India continued to purchase oil from Russia.

The US President’s new menace comes forward of an August 8 deadline for Russia to achieve a truce with Ukraine, with the administration threatening so-called secondary sanctions on nations that buy Russian vitality. The US and different allies of Ukraine view these purchases as serving to to prop up Russian chief Vladimir Putin’s economic system and undercutting stress on Moscow to finish a battle that’s now in its fourth 12 months.

India has been a prime Trump goal within the marketing campaign to convey an finish to the battle in Ukraine. New Delhi has been defiant, nevertheless, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi — who has had heat relations with Trump prior to now — responding to the US president’s menace by urging Indians to purchase native items and signaling that his administration will proceed to purchase Russian oil.

Modi’s authorities hasn’t given Indian oil refiners directions to cease shopping for Russian oil, and no resolution has been taken on whether or not to halt the purchases, individuals accustomed to the state of affairs informed Bloomberg, asking to not be named as a result of sensitivity of the matter. 

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Printed on August 4, 2025