Trump Issues Fresh Threat To ‘Substantially Raise’ Tariffs On India Over Russian Oil

US President Donald Trump on Monday issued a fresh warning to India, saying he would ‘substantially raise’ the tariff imposed on the country.

His new threat comes a week after he announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s ‘high tariffs on US goods’ and its ongoing purchases from Russia.

Trump shared the statement on Truth Social, his social media platform. His post linked India’s actions to the Ukraine conflict and its ties with Moscow.

“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.

He accused India of ignoring the human cost of the war in Ukraine, adding, “Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”

Trump’s message comes as he pushes for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He sharply criticised India’s trade and defence links with Russia.

He claimed India profited from reselling Russian oil while turning a blind eye to the ongoing war.

Last week, Trump had made another attack against India. He accused both New Delhi and Moscow of having ‘dead economies’.

“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” Trump wrote.

He also blamed India’s trade barriers for strained ties, noting, “We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World.”

Ahead of the August 1 deadline, Trump had already announced a 25 per cent reciprocal tariff on Indian goods. He also warned of an additional penalty for New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil and military equipment.

In his statement last week, he described India’s tariffs as ‘among the highest in the world’. He also called India’s trade barriers ‘the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country’.

The latest statement from the US President signals rising tensions between the two countries. The Trump India tariff dispute may deepen further as Washington’s focus on India’s Russia ties continues.

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