Trump Slaps 25% Tariffs On India, ‘Plus Penalty’ From August 1, Cites ‘Obnoxious’ Trade Barrier

US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to announce that India will face a 25 percent tariff starting August 1. In a post on Truth Social, Trump remarked that although the two nations are friendly, trade between India and the US has remained relatively limited. “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,” he wrote in his post.

“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!” he said.

In the same post, Trump criticised India’s continued purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia, calling it “ALL THINGS NOT GOOD” amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. He alleged that India is one of Russia’s largest energy buyers, along with China, and said this undermines global efforts to pressure Moscow into ending the conflict. “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!” he added.

Trade Deficit

Meanwhile, in a separate post, President Trump stated that the United States has a “massive trade deficit” with India. The announcement follows days of speculation over the tariff rate Trump would impose on India. On Tuesday, he had suggested the possibility of a 20–25 percent tariff but noted that no final decision had been made at the time.

While calling India a “good friend,” Trump reiterated his long-standing complaint that New Delhi imposes higher tariffs on American goods than “almost any other country.”

“India has been a good friend, but India has charged basically more tariffs than almost any other country… You just can’t do that,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized that India does not enter into trade agreements based on deadlines, asserting that any proposed deal with the US would only be accepted once it is fully negotiated, finalized, and aligned with India’s national interest.