India-US Tariff War / US's big decision! Trump imposed 25% additional tariff on India, got this reply in return

India-US Tariff War: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on goods imported from India. The decision was taken after America's displeasure over India's oil imports from Russia. With this move, the total US tariff on Indian goods has now reached 50 per cent. Trump on Tuesday threatened to increase the tariffs substantially in the next 24 hours if India continues to buy oil from Russia. His executive order said, "I find that the Government of India is directly or indirectly importing Russian oil. Given this, an additional duty of 25 per cent will be imposed on goods imported from India into the United States."

Trump had also indicated last week that India would face "penalties" for purchasing oil and military equipment from Russia. The order to impose this new tariff was signed less than 14 hours before the initial tariff came into effect. This additional duty will be effective after 21 days, while the initial tariff has already come into effect from August 7.

India's sharp response

The Indian government immediately responded to this decision. The Ministry of External Affairs said in its statement, "In recent days, the US has targeted India's oil imports from Russia. We have already made it clear that our oil imports are market-based and aimed at ensuring energy security of a population of 1.4 billion. It is extremely unfortunate that the US chose the path of imposing additional tariffs on India, while many other countries are also adopting similar policies for their national interests." The ministry termed it as an "unfair, unjust and irrational" step and said that India will take all necessary steps to protect its national interests.

Reaction of Indian leaders

This decision of Trump has created a political stir in India. Opposition leaders have targeted the government. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray raised the question, "Why is no minister answering this? Why are all the ministers silent? Has any trade agreement been reached with America?" At the same time, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "A 50 percent tariff will make our products out of the reach of many people in America. If goods are available at lower tariffs in countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, or Bangladesh, then people will not buy from us."

Tharoor further said, "This is not good news for our exports. We need to diversify the countries and markets that are interested in what we offer. Our free trade agreement with the UK and negotiations with the European Union are a positive step, but this tariff is definitely a setback."

Trump's stance and global impact

Trump had said on Tuesday, "If India buys oil from Russia, I will not be happy at all. They are fueling the war machine." This tariff is one of the highest duties imposed on America's trading partners. This move is part of Trump's broader stance in which he threatened to punish countries buying oil from Russia.

An official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, issued on 6 August 2025:

India strongly objects to the recent US move targeting our oil imports from Russia.

Our decisions are guided by market dynamics and the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians, firmly rooted in… pic.twitter.com/58q1QxOgM1

— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) August 6, 2025