U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that he will “substantially” increase tariffs on imports from India in response to the country’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”
US President Donald Trump again hit out at India over the latter’s substantial imports of Russian crude oil, and threatened that he will “substantially” raise tariffs on New Delhi for profiting from exporting fuels derived from Russian oil.
This development comes just days after he announced 25 per cent tariffs and an unspecified “penalty” on India for its defense and energy imports from Russia.
Trump did not provide further details on the scale or timing of the tariff increase.
India’s trade ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The announcement follows Trump’s statement last week that he would impose a 25% tariff on Indian imports and potentially additional, unspecified penalties. However, specifics have yet to be released.
Despite the threat of new U.S. trade measures, two Indian government sources told Reuters over the weekend that India plans to continue its energy purchases from Russia. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, indicated that India’s energy strategy would remain unchanged.
India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, has maintained strong energy ties with Russia since the start of the Ukraine conflict, drawing criticism from Western allies.
Trump’s July 31 announcement of a 25% tariff, along with an unspecified penalty, has unsettled Indian exporters—particularly those in low-margin sectors like apparel and footwear—who now fear widespread job losses due to the increased trade costs. In his latest post on Monday, however, Trump made no mention of the additional “penalty.” Notably, the 25% tariff rate he announced for India exceeds those imposed on competing nations such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and several ASEAN countries.
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