Trump Slaps India With 25% Tariff, Unspecified ‘Penalty’ For Dealing With Russia

President Donald Trump said Wednesday morning that India would be hit with a 25% tariff starting August 1 and an additional “penalty” for buying military equipment and energy from Russia. 

Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social that criticized India’s business with Russia amid the war in Ukraine. In recent days, Trump has been increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the fighting and come to the negotiating table. 

“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. 

“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,” he added. 

In a later post, he wrote, “WE HAVE A MASSIVE TRADE DEFICIT WITH INDIA!!!”

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the U.S. exported around $41.8 billion in goods to India in 2024 while importing $87.4 billion, equalling a $45.7 billion trade deficit. The “Liberation Day” tariffs for India were initially set at 26%.

Trump has yet to reveal what further “penalty” India could face. 

The Trump administration has previously threatened to use a similar tactic against China and other countries for purchasing sanctioned Russian oil. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the continued purchase of Russian oil could lead to massive tariffs. 

“The Chinese take their sovereignty very seriously. We don’t want to impede on their sovereignty, so they’d like to pay a 100% tariff,” Bessent said.

Trump has become increasingly outspoken with his frustration with Putin and the ongoing war. Earlier this week, Trump shortened the 50-day deadline he had set for Putin to make a peace deal with Ukraine. That came after the administration moved to resume weapons shipments to Ukraine earlier this month after a brief pause. 

“We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city, like Kyiv, and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever. You have bodies lying all over the street,” Trump said. “And I said, ‘That’s not the way to do it.’”