WASHINGTON, Aug 06 (APP): US President Donald Trump took executive action Wednesday to hit India with an additional 25% tariff due to its continued purchases of Russian oil.
The move, to take effect Aug. 27, will increase the total US tariff rate on India to 50% and comes ahead of Trump’s Friday deadline for Russia to make peace with Ukraine or else face secondary tariffs or sanctions — penalties on countries that continue purchasing energy from Moscow.
“The actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” Trump noted in his executive order, which was announced hours after special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about three hours on Wednesday.
India has termed President Trump’s exorbitant tariffs as unjustified and unreasonable, seeing hypocrisy in Washington’s action since both the US and EU also continue to import Russian products despite Moscow’s lingering war on Ukraine.
Russia produced about 12 percent of the world’s crude oil supply in 2024, giving it significant market power. Despite Western sanctions, including a price cap on Russian oil exports, it has amassed a vast “shadow fleet” of tankers that allow it to continue shipping oil.
The Executive Order also says, “should a foreign country retaliate against the United States in response to this action”, the U.S. President “may modify this order to ensure the efficacy of the actions herein ordered.”