Trump’s 50% tariffs on India take effect, straining bilateral trade ties
US President Donald Trump’s 50 percent tariffs on India, aimed at curbing the country's oil imports from Russia, took effect on Wednesday.
Trump had announced on August 6 that he would double the existing 25 percent US tariffs against India, citing concerns over the country’s “direct or indirect imports of oil from the Russian Federation.” The initial 25 percent tariff had taken effect on August 7.
The president has accused India of funding Russia’s war on Ukraine through oil imports.
India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is also one of the United States’ largest trading partners, with $87.3 billion worth of goods imported by the US in 2024, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.
Most Indian exports to the US now face steep duties, though some key products, including smartphones, have been temporarily spared.
Experts warn that the tariffs could cause Indian exports to the US to fall from $86.5 billion this year to around $50 billion by 2026.
New Delhi, which has described the levies as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” reiterated that the country will likely strengthen ties with Moscow and Beijing, further distancing itself from Washington.
Since the announcement of the 50 percent tariffs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has courted closer relations with members of the BRICS coalition, which includes China, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa.
He is scheduled to visit China later this week, his first trip to the country in seven years.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will host Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with leaders from around 20 other Global South nations, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
The summit, starting on August 31, underscores the growing influence and cohesion of the BRICS bloc, positioning it as a strategic counterweight to Western hegemony.
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