TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - United States President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that imports from India will face a tariff of 25 percent, and announced an unspecified "penalty" for New Delhi's purchases of Russian weapons and energy.
These measures will take effect on Friday, August 1, 2025, as Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, as reported by CNA. This adds to a series of other tariff increases up to 50 percent that will come into effect on the same day.
In a separate post, Trump stated that the August 1 deadline "remains in place, and will not be extended."
Previously, he had postponed what he called "reciprocal tariffs" several times since they were first announced in early April, while setting a temporary basic tariff of 10 percent.
The 25 percent tariff for India will be slightly lower than the tariff announced in April, but higher than tariffs for other Asian countries that have reached initial trade agreements with Washington.
India, the world's second most populous country, was one of the first major economies to engage in trade negotiations with the Trump administration on a broader scale.
However, six months later, Trump's broad demands and India's reluctance to fully open the agricultural and other sectors have so far hindered New Delhi from reaching an agreement.
"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," Trump stated on Wednesday morning.
He added that India has "always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and is Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE."
In addition to the 25 percent tariff on India, Trump said India will face "a penalty for the above," without further details.
On Wednesday night, he told reporters that discussions on tariffs were ongoing and "we'll see what happens," but did not elaborate further on the sanctions.
This move comes as the 79-year-old Republican politician indicated his intention to tighten U.S. pressure on Moscow to stop the fighting in Ukraine and negotiate a peaceful deal.
On Tuesday, Trump said he was giving Russian President Vladimir Putin 10 days, meaning by the end of next week, to change course in Ukraine or face new tariffs.
Previously, he had threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" targeting remaining Russian trade partners, such as China and India, to obstruct Moscow's ability to withstand the already heavy Western sanctions.
Despite the tariff threats, New Delhi stated its commitment to continue negotiations on "a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement."
CHINA TRADE NEGOTIATIONS
Trump has sought to overturn the global economy by leveraging the U.S.'s economic power to pressure trading partners with tariffs and force foreign companies to relocate to the United States.
He has outlined agreements with five countries, the UK, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as well as agreements with 27 EU member countries.
U.S. and Chinese officials held talks this week in Stockholm to extend the trade truce that has reduced temporary tariffs from triple-digit spikes.
While no agreement was announced in the meeting, both sides are eyeing an extension before the August 12 deadline.
Meanwhile, Trump has threatened Brazil with a 50 percent import tariff starting Friday, partly to pressure the South American ally to shut down the trial of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro on coup charges.
He has also imposed separate levies targeting specific sectors, including steel, copper, and automotive.
Trump has imposed many of his major tariffs, citing emergency authorities, which are being challenged in U.S. courts.
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