US President Donald Trump has warned of a substantial tariff hike on India within the next 24 hours, escalating trade tensions just days after announcing 25% tariffs starting August 7.
Trump said, &ldquo;India has the highest tariffs. We settled on 25 per cent, but I think I am going to raise that substantially.&rdquo; He accused India of importing large volumes of Russian oil and &ldquo;fuelling the Russian war machine,&rdquo; while allegedly profiting from resale.
This sharp rhetoric drew criticism from New Delhi, which called the US pressure &ldquo;unjustified and unreasonable.&rdquo; A statement from India&rsquo;s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasised, &ldquo;India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.&rdquo;
India clarified that it began sourcing Russian oil only after traditional supplies were diverted to Europe during the Ukraine conflict, a move even encouraged by the US at that time to stabilise global energy markets.
Russia also reacted strongly. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said, &ldquo;Sovereign nations must have the right to choose their trading partners.&rdquo; He termed Trump&rsquo;s threats as &ldquo;illegitimate.&rdquo;
The brewing US-India trade conflict is expected to add further strain to global trade ties, as India pushes back against what it sees as targeted economic coercion.

Trump to Hike India Tariffs Amid Russia Oil Row

US President Trump threatens steep tariff hike on India over Russian oil imports

Trump to Hike India Tariffs Amid Russia Oil Row

US President Trump threatens steep tariff hike on India over Russian oil imports

August 6, 2025 | 24:11 IST