Trump slaps India with 25% tariff, 'penalty'

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that imports from India will face 25 percent tariffs, while also announcing an unspecified “penalty” over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian weapons and energy.

The measures will kick in on Friday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding to a bevy of other tariff hikes — some up to 50 percent — set to take effect the same day.

In a separate post, Trump said the 1 August deadline “stands strong, and will not be extended.”

He had previously issued multiple delays to his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs since first announcing them in early April, while instituting an interim 10 percent baseline.

The 25 percent tariff on India would be marginally lower than the rate announced in April, but is higher than those of other Asian countries that have struck preliminary trade agreements with Washington.

India, the world’s most populous country, was one of the first major economies to engage the Trump administration in broader trade talks.

But six months later, Trump’s sweeping demands and India’s reluctance to fully open its agricultural and other sectors have so far prevented New Delhi from sealing a deal.

“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 said Wednesday morning.