Trump doubles tariff on India to 50% for buying Russian oil; India says will ‘protect national interest’

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) slapped an additional 25% tariff on goods coming from India as penalty for New Delhi’s continued buying of Russian oil.

Reacting to the development, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India will take actions to protect its “national interest”.

“We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India,” the Ministry said. “It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest. We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable. India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests,” it added.

Mr. Trump signed an executive order imposing the additional tariff less than 14 hours before his initial tariffs were to come into effect.

Also Read | I never said a percentage: Trump on increasing tariffs on countries buying Russian energy

After the order, the total tariff on Indian goods, barring a small exemption list, will be 50%.

While the initial duty becomes effective on August 7, the additional levy will come into effect after 21 days.

The move comes after Mr. Trump on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) said India has not been a good trading partner and warned of raising the tariffs “very substantially” over the next 24 hours over India’s purchase of Russian oil.

“With India, what people don’t like to say about India, they’re the highest tariff nation. They have the highest tariff of anybody. We do very, very little business with India because their tariffs are so high,” Mr. Trump said in an interview with CNBC Squawk Box.

“India has not been a good trading partner, because they do a lot of business with us, but we don’t do business with them. So we settled on 25% (tariff), but I think I’m going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they’re buying Russian oil. They’re fuelling the war machine. And if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy,” he added.