US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, July 30, announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports, set to take effect from August 1, citing India’s ongoing oil trade with Russia and what he called long-standing and excessive trade barriers.
In a statement posted on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump asserted that while India remains a “friend,” the trade relationship has been hampered by what he described as some of the world’s highest tariffs and the most restrictive non-monetary trade practices.
“India is our friend, but we’ve done relatively little business with them over the years because their tariffs are far too high — among the highest in the world — and their non-monetary barriers are some of the most strenuous and obnoxious globally,” he wrote.
The move signals a potential escalation in trade tensions, with Trump reiterating his tough stance on economic policy ahead of the upcoming US elections.
