Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that his administration’s steep tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil have strained relations between Washington and New Delhi.
“Look, India was their (Russia’s) biggest customer. I put a 50% tariff on India because they’re buying oil from Russia. That’s not an easy thing to do,” Trump said in a Fox News interview on Friday. “That’s a big deal. And it causes a rift with India.”
The tariffs, first set at 25 per cent before doubling to 50 per cent from August 27, were half reciprocal levies and half over New Delhi’s increased imports of Russian oil despite Western sanctions on Moscow.
Talks between the two countries to reduce tariff rates came to a standstill amid increasing rhetoric from the Trump administration, as India—now the world’s fifth-largest economy—has resisted opening up its agricultural and dairy sectors, The Indian Express reported earlier. Bilateral trade stands at over $190 billion annually.
Despite the rift, Trump recently signalled a potential reset, saying negotiations to address trade barriers are continuing and that he would speak with Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon.
Sergio Gor, Trump’s nominee for ambassador to India and special envoy for South Asia, said that even after tariffs, “we are not that far apart right now” and insisted progress was likely when India’s commerce minister visits Washington next week. “We hold our friends to different standards,” Gor said, adding he would prioritise keeping India aligned with the US.
Notably, Gor stressed that Trump—who has often sparred publicly with world leaders—has avoided personal criticism of Modi.
On the same Fox program, Trump also said his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin was “running out fast” but stopped short of announcing new sanctions. “We’re going to have to come down very, very strong,” he warned, while noting sanctions on banks and oil remain options, provided European nations join in.
