US imposes 25% tariff on India, penalties for buying Russian oil

The United States will impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.

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India “is our friend,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform, but its tariffs on US products “are far too high.”

The Republican president added India buys military equipment and oil from Russia, enabling Moscow's war in Ukraine. As a result, he intends to charge an additional “penalty” starting on Friday as part of the launch of his administration's revised tariffs on multiple countries.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday the two countries were still in the middle of negotiations ‘on trade despite the tariffs slated to begin in a few days.

“We're talking to India now,” the president said, “We'll see what happens.”

The Indian government said Wednesday it's studying the implications of Trump's tariffs announcement.

India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a “fair, balanced and mutually beneficial” bilateral trade agreement over the last few months, and New Delhi remains committed to that objective, India’s Trade Ministry said in a statement.

Trump's announcement comes after a slew of negotiated trade frameworks with the European Union, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia - all of which he said would open markets for American goods while enabling the US to raise tax rates on imports. The president views tariff revenues as a way to help offset the budget deficit increases tied to his recent income tax cuts and generate more domestic factory jobs.