U.S. President Donald Trump listens as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks throughout a joint press convention within the East Room on the White Home on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Alex Wong | Getty Pictures Information | Getty Pictures
President Donald Trump stated Wednesday that India pays a tariff of 25% starting Aug. 1, along with a “penalty” for what he views as unfair commerce insurance policies and for India’s buy of navy tools and power from Russia.
The 25% tariff fee is modestly decrease than what he imposed on India on “liberation day,” when he introduced a 26% fee on the important thing buying and selling companion.
But it surely’s nonetheless on the upper finish of what Trump gave the impression to be contemplating for India. Trump on Tuesday stated he was contemplating a fee between 20% and 25%.
“Bear in mind, whereas India is our buddy, we’ve, over time, executed comparatively little enterprise with them as a result of their Tariffs are far too excessive, among the many highest within the World, and so they have essentially the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Commerce Limitations of any Nation,” Trump wrote on Fact Social.
“Additionally, they’ve at all times purchased a overwhelming majority of their navy tools from Russia, and are Russia’s largest purchaser of ENERGY, together with China, at a time when everybody needs Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!” he continued.
“INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST,” he stated.
The White Home didn’t reply to CNBC’s request for touch upon what the extra penalty is likely to be.
A spokesperson for the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the tariff fee or the penalty.
In a subsequent Fact Social publish on Wednesday, Trump stated, “WE HAVE A MASSIVE TRADE DEFICIT WITH INDIA!!!”
Trump has repeatedly stated that the objective of his sweeping tariff regime is to dramatically reduce the US’ commerce deficit with different nations.
Economists have questioned this motive, nevertheless. They observe that importing items from nations with decrease labor prices implies that Individuals pays decrease costs for completed merchandise.
There’s additionally deep uncertainty as as to if American employees can be prepared or capable of do the low-skilled and doubtlessly harmful jobs wanted to supply the products sometimes imported from abroad, like clothes, toys and chemical substances.
Earlier this yr, Trump went as far as to declare America’s world commerce deficit an emergency risk to nationwide safety with the intention to declare the authorized authority to impose unilateral tariffs with out consulting Congress.
Trump’s plans to impose an extra “penalty” on India over its commerce with Russia additionally comes as he has elevated his rhetoric in current weeks over President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
In an escalation earlier this month, the president threatened to implement secondary tariffs of 100% beginning in early August on nations that purchase Russian oil and fuel, except the Kremlin reaches a ceasefire cope with Ukraine.
China, India, Brazil and different main U.S. commerce companions that depend on Russian power can be hit notably laborious by a tariff like this.
