Trump fires fresh salvo at India, vows to ‘substantially’ raise tariffs over Russian oil

In his July 30 post, Trump acknowledged India as a “friend”, though asserting that both countries have done very little business. He accused India of imposing high tariffs on US goods, calling them “strenuous” and “obnoxious”. He also accused India of buying arms from Russia and being the largest buyer of energy from Vladimir Putin-led Russia.

On July 31, 2025, he reiterated his earlier charge against India for its relations with Russia, saying branding both as “dead economies” and reiterating his discontent over India’s trade practices. “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care…We have done very little business with India; their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together.”

Though Trump has made his intentions on imposing tariffs on India clear, trade experts here say these measures could be temporary as the talks between both countries are still on, with the sixth round scheduled for the end of August. The government, despite being hopeful of signing a trade deal with the US, has been resistant to Trump’s demands, especially with regard to opening up the country’s dairy and agriculture sectors for the US. Some experts, however, think Trump’s tariffs on India could disrupt around $129 billion worth of trade between the two nations per year, with smartphones, pharmaceuticals, shrimp and auto parts expected to take the biggest hit.

Notably, India has already signed a mega trade deal with the UK, which allows zero-duty access to 99% of India’s exports to the United Kingdom. The agreement is expected to see bilateral trade between the two countries double from the current $56 billion in the next five years.