Donald Trump's Full Statement Announcing 25% Tariffs, Plus Penalty On India
Trump accused India of maintaining excessively high tariffs and erecting severe non-monetary trade barriers, which he claims have hindered fair trade between the two nations
US President Donald Trump has announced a 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, along with an additional penalty, set to begin on August 1. The move was revealed through a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he sharply criticised India’s trade policies and its strategic relationship with Russia.
Trump accused India of maintaining excessively high tariffs and erecting severe non-monetary trade barriers, which he claims have hindered fair trade between the two nations.
“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,” Trump wrote.
Criticism Of India’s Energy And Defense Ties With Russia
In the same statement, Trump pointed to India’s continued military and energy imports from Russia as another reason for the penalty. He said India, alongside China, remains one of the largest purchasers of Russian energy and defense equipment at a time when global pressure is mounting on Moscow to cease its invasion of Ukraine.
“Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING 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 Cites Trade Deficit And Past Negotiations
In a follow-up post, Trump stressed economic concerns: “WE HAVE A MASSIVE TRADE DEFICIT WITH INDIA!!!” He also recalled previous discussions with Indian leadership, acknowledging India as a friend but expressing frustration over what he described as disproportionately high tariffs.
“Yeah, I think so. India is my friend. They ended the war with Pakistan at my request...The deal with India is not finalised. India has been a good friend, but India has charged basically more tariffs than almost any other country...”
Broader Tariff Strategy Resumes After Pause
Trump’s decision to resume tariff hikes follows the expiration of a 90-day pause initiated earlier this year. In April, the former president had proposed a baseline 10 per cent tariff across the board, with rates reaching up to 50 per cent. Markets reacted strongly, prompting the temporary halt. However, Trump had warned that without new trade deals in place, tariffs could increase up to 70 per cent starting in August.
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