The United States has imposed this additional tariff or penalty for Russian imports only on India while other buyers such as China and Turkey have so far escaped such measures.
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday slapped an additional 25 per cent tariff, raising it to 50 per cent, on goods coming from India as penalty for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, a move that is likely to hit sectors such as textiles, marine and leather exports hard.
The United States has imposed this additional tariff or penalty for Russian imports only on India while other buyers such as China and Turkey have so far escaped such measures. The 30 per cent tariff on China and 15 per cent on Turkey is lower than India’s 50 per cent.
Reacting to this development, a senior minister from Goa has aligned closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘India First’ approach, reaffirming the government’s firm commitment to protect the interests of farmers, even as the United States escalates trade pressure with a massive 50% tariff.
Vishwajit Rane echoed Modi’s defiant tone. India’s top leadership has slammed the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” vowing to take necessary steps to safeguard national priorities.
In a statement delivered in Panaji, Vishwajit Rane emphasized that farming communities, dairy workers, and fishermen remain at the heart of government policy. “We will not compromise their welfare, regardless of external pressures,” he declared, echoing PM Modi’s earlier sentiment that he’s “ready to pay a heavy price” to ensure their well‑being.
India on Trump’s additional tariff
In a statement, the MEA pointed out that several other countries are also making such procurements to protect their own national interest and hinted its disappointment for singling it out on the issue.
The US president issued the executive order hitting India with an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods citing its continuing procurement of Russian crude oil. The additional tariff, to come into effect after 21 days, will increase the duties on some Indian goods to 50 per cent. The tariffs are likely to hit sectors such as textiles, marine and leather hard.
“We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” the MEA said.
It said the US has in recent days “targeted” India’s oil imports from Russia.
“We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India,” it said.
“It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest,” it added.
