‘It was important to make me happy’: Donald Trump says US could raise tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases

#WATCH | On India’s Russian oil imports, US President Donald J Trump says, "… They wanted to make me happy, basically… PM Modi's a very good man. He's a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very… pic.twitter.com/ANNdO36CZI

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2026

Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters on Sunday about US policy and trade ties with India, emphasising that his administration expects more support from New Delhi in reducing Russian oil imports.

The comments come against the backdrop of earlier US tariff actions under Trump. In 2018, Washington imposed duties on Indian steel and aluminium, and in 2019 removed India from the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), a scheme allowing duty-free access for many Indian exports.

In 2025, the United States imposed additional tariffs on a wide range of Indian goods including textiles, apparel, gems and jewellery, carpets, furniture and seafood raising duties to 50%. Officials cited India’s continued purchases of Russian oil and defence equipment from Moscow as the reason for the added penalties.

Trade analysts warn that the higher tariffs could make Indian exports uncompetitive in the US market, potentially reducing merchandise shipments by up to 40–45% in 2025-26 and threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery, shrimp, and carpets.

Around 30% of exports, including pharmaceuticals, electronics and petroleum products, remain duty-free, while 4% face a 25% tariff, leaving the bulk of shipments subject to the steep 50% duties.

(With inputs from agencies)