(Image source from: twitter.com/WhiteHouse)
US President Donald Trump suggested a major increase in trade tensions with India, announcing that the US plans to raise tariffs "very significantly" within the next day. He claimed this comes as a result of India’s ongoing dealings with Russia, particularly through its continued purchase of Russian oil, which he has criticized before. In an interview with CNBC, Trump stated, "They impose the highest tariffs. We agreed on 25%, but I believe I will be raising that a lot over the next day because of their purchases of Russian oil. They are supporting the war effort. We do little trade with India, but they conduct a lot of trade with us." These comments came after Trump's previous declaration of 25 percent tariffs on India, accusing the country of importing large amounts of Russian crude oil and selling it for profit on the global market.
Previously, Trump shared a strongly worded message on his social media site Truth Social, accusing India of buying "huge quantities of Russian oil" and selling it "on the open market for high profits." He wrote, "They don’t care about how many lives are lost in Ukraine due to the Russian military actions. Because of this, I will be significantly increasing the tariffs that India pays to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this issue!!!" In response, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) firmly rejected the claims, labeling the US President’s statements as baseless and politically motivated. The MEA stated that India began importing Russian crude oil only after Western countries, in response to the Ukraine conflict, shifted their usual supply routes to meet their own energy requirements.
"The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India to promote the stability of global energy markets," the ministry noted. The MEA also pointed out the West’s own substantial and ongoing economic relationships with Russia. In 2024, the European Union recorded €67.5 billion in goods trade with Russia, along with €17.2 billion in services. The EU’s imports of Russian liquefied natural gas hit a record of 16.5 million tonnes that year, numbers that far exceed India’s much smaller trade figures. Additionally, the US continues to engage with Moscow economically, importing uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for electric vehicles, and various fertilizers and industrial chemicals, the MEA mentioned, highlighting that, "In this context, singling out India is unjust and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all required steps to protect its national interests and economic security."
