Starting Today, 25% Tariff Hits Indian Imports To US As Trump Targets Trade Practices

Indian imports to the United States will face a 25 per cent tariff beginning Friday, following an announcement by US President Donald Trump.

Trump revealed the tariff on Thursday in a post on Truth Social. Alongside the tariff, an unspecified penalty will also be applied.

According to Trump, the decision stems from what he described as unfair trade practices by India and its ongoing cooperation with Russia in the defence and energy sectors.

He pointed to India’s continued defence deals and fuel imports from Russia during the conflict in Ukraine.

“ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!” Trump wrote in all caps.

The US President further accused India of having ‘the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers’ in the world. He argued that these barriers have historically discouraged US-India trade.

“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high,” Trump stated. “India’s tariffs are among the highest in the world.”

Trump also expressed concern over the growing trade deficit between the two countries and criticised India for continuing to buy Russian military equipment and fuel.

“At a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine, these things are not good,” he noted. “India has always bought the majority of its military supplies from Russia and is one of the largest buyers of Russian energy, along with China.”

Smartphones exported from India will not be affected by the tariff for now. They remain exempt under Section 232 of US trade law.

Officials will likely review this exemption in two weeks and then decide whether to include smartphones in the tariff list.

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