US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order hitting India with an additional 25% tariff over its purchases of Russian oil.
That will raise the total tariff on Indian imports to the United States to 50% – among the highest rates imposed by the US.
The new rate will come into effect in 21 days, so on 27 August, according to the executive order.
A response from India’s foreign ministry on Wednesday said Delhi had already made clear its stance on imports from Russia, and reiterated that the tariff is “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.
“It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest,” the brief statement read.
“India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests,” it added.
The US president had earlier warned he would raise levies, saying India doesn’t “care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine”.
On Wednesday, the White House said in a statement that the “Russian Federation’s actions in Ukraine pose an ongoing threat to US national security and foreign policy, necessitating stronger measures to address the national emergency”.
It said India’s imports of Russian oil undermine US efforts to counter Russia’s activities in Ukraine.
It added that the US will determine which other countries import oil from Russia, and will “recommend further actions to the President as needed”.
Oil and gas are Russia’s biggest exports, and Moscow’s biggest customers include China, India and Turkey.
The threatened tariff hike follows meetings on Wednesday by Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, aimed at securing peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Delhi had previously called Trump’s threat to raise tariffs over its purchase of oil from Russia “unjustified and unreasonable”.
In an earlier statement, a spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said the US had encouraged India to import Russian gas at the start of the conflict, “for strengthening global energy markets stability”.
He said India “began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict”.
The latest threatened tariff demonstrates Trump’s willingness to impose sanctions related to the war in Ukraine even against nations that the US considers to be important allies or trading partners.
This could be a warning that other countries could feel a real bite if Trump ramps up those kind of sanctions once Friday’s deadline passes, when the US president has threatened new sanctions on Russia and to place 100% tariffs on countries that purchase its oil.
This would not be the first time the Trump administration has imposed secondary tariffs, which are also in place to punish buyers of Venezuelan oil.
India has previously criticised the US – its largest trading partner – for introducing the levies, when the US itself is still doing trade with Russia.
Last year, the US traded goods worth an estimated $3.5bn (£2.6bn) with Russia, despite tough sanctions and tariffs.
Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have in the past referred to each other as friends and, during Trump’s first term, attended political rallies in each others’ countries.
But that has not stopped Trump from hitting India with the levies, suggesting diverging interests between New Delhi and Washington.
The tariffs are expected to make Indian goods far costlier in the US, and could cut US-bound exports by 40–50%, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a Delhi-based think tank.
“India should remain calm, avoid retaliation for at least six months, and recognise that meaningful trade negotiations with the US cannot proceed under threats or mistrust,” former Indian trade official and head of GTRI, Ajay Srivastava, said.
With additional analysis from BBC North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher and BBC India correspondent Soutik Biswas.
Tourists and business travelers from Zambia and Malawi must pay a deposit of up to $15,000 when seeking a US visa, the State Department has announced, in a move likened to a visa ban for the African nations, which rank among the world’s poorest.
Payment of the visa bond, which aims to rein in visa overstays, “does not guarantee visa issuance,” the notice posted on Tuesday warned, stating that the fee would be reimbursed if certain conditions are met.
“The bond will be canceled and the bond money will be automatically returned in the following circumstances: The visa holder departs from the United States on or before the date to which he or she is authorized to remain in the United States; or the visa holder does not travel to the United States before the expiration of the visa; or the visa holder applies for and is denied admission at the U.S. port of entry.”
The Trump administration has aggressively clamped down on immigration and continues to tighten requirements for securing US visas.
The visa bond follows the planned introduction of a $250 “visa integrity fee” that foreign visitors are required to pay, separate from their visa costs. The fee is also reimbursable if travelers comply with their visa conditions.
The visa bonds target visitors from countries identified as “having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering citizenship by investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement,” a separate notice published in the Federal Register stated.
Why are Malawi and Zambia singled out?
Malawi, a country in Southeastern Africa, and its neighbor, Zambia, are the only nations slapped with the visa bond that starts August 20 for a 12-month pilot period.
Neither country has the highest visa overstay rates in the world or even in Africa, according to Homeland Security’slast published data. And neither was included among countries the US banned or imposed partial travel restrictions on in June for visa overstays or posing security risks.
In an email to CNN Wednesday, a State Department spokesperson would not clarify why other countries, which had higher visa overstay rates, did not face the same measure.
“According to the Department of Homeland Security’s most recent data, in addition to operational and other considerations, nationals of these countries who traveled to the United States on nonimmigrant visas exceeded their authorized period of admission at high rates, elevated overstay rates generally suggest a greater likelihood that nationals from these countries may fail to depart the United States as required or otherwise not comply with U.S. immigration laws,” the statement said.
Human rights lawyer, Habiba Osman, who heads Malawi’s Human Rights Commission, told CNN that the imposition of the visa bond was “unfair” and “a serious financial burden” for genuine travelers.
“The bond is inhumane for a country like Malawi,” added Osman, who makes frequent trips to the US. “This move is punishing those who travel in good faith.”
Malawian authorities are yet to publicly comment on the matter. Zambia’s foreign minister, Mulambo Haimbe, told CNN he would speak after “internal consultation.”
Travel to the US could get harder in the coming months for many African nations. Seven from the continent were banned two months ago, and three others were partially restricted.
A mooted expansion of the travel restrictions would halt travel to the US for swathes of West Africa if implemented.
US imposes additional 25% tariff on India for Russian oil imports
Oh.
While we haven’t heard from any US officials on the Kremlin meeting just yet, the White House has just announced an additional 25% tariff on India for “directly or indirectly importing Russian … oil.”
The tariff was introduced through a presidential executive order signed, with today’s date, by US president Donald Trump.
The order, posted on the White House’s website, says that:
“I have received additional information from various senior officials on, among other things, the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation with respect to the situation in Ukraine.
After considering this additional information, among other things, I find that the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066 continues and that the actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
Concluding, it said:
“To deal with the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066, I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to impose an additional ad valorem duty on imports of articles of India, which is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil.”
Key events
Poland’s Nawrocki wants to see army grow to 300,000, largest Nato army in Europe
Jakub Krupa
As we await more updates from Moscow or Washington, let’s briefly go back to Warsaw for my first full report on Karol Nawrocki’s inauguration as the new Polish president.
In the last few minutes, he has been formally taking over the role of the military commander in chief.
Addressing soldiers in Warsaw, he said his ambition is to grow the Polish army to “at least 300,000” from around 210,000 now, making it the largest Nato army in Europe.
Newly sworn-in Polish President Karol Nawrocki kneels down in front of a flag as he attends the ceremony of accepting the sovereignty over the Armed Forces for the five-year term, in Warsaw, Poland. Photograph: Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters
Trump expected to speak with Zelenskyy – reports
Meanwhile, US media outlet Axios is reporting that Trump is expected to speak with Zelenskyy later today, discussing the next steps after Witkoff’s meeting with Putin in Moscow.
One to watch.
Zelenskyy visits Ukrainian troops near frontline
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he visited Ukrainian troops near the frontline in Sumy region, talking to commanders about the situation on the ground.
“There were reports on the liberation of Andriyivka and Kindrativka in the Sumy region, Russian attempts at counterattacks, our next steps to liberate Ukrainian land,” he said.
He added they “talked in detail about the needs, the level of support in general, the training of recruits and instructors.”
Zelenskyy also thanked the soldiers for their service, awarding some of them with state medals.
US imposes additional 25% tariff on India for Russian oil imports
Oh.
While we haven’t heard from any US officials on the Kremlin meeting just yet, the White House has just announced an additional 25% tariff on India for “directly or indirectly importing Russian … oil.”
The tariff was introduced through a presidential executive order signed, with today’s date, by US president Donald Trump.
The order, posted on the White House’s website, says that:
“I have received additional information from various senior officials on, among other things, the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation with respect to the situation in Ukraine.
After considering this additional information, among other things, I find that the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066 continues and that the actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
Concluding, it said:
“To deal with the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066, I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to impose an additional ad valorem duty on imports of articles of India, which is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil.”
Russian market awaits outcome of Putin’s talks with Witkoff
The Russian rouble and markets held their breath as they awaited the outcome of Putin’s talks with Witkoff, Reuters noted.
“The market is awaiting the outcome of the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff,” T-Bank’s analysts said.
Many analysts believe that the rouble is overvalued and awaiting a trigger to weaken.
“In the coming days, the currency market will be waiting for news from the visit of the US president’s special representative and clarification of the situation regarding possible US sanctions,” said PSB Bank’s Evgeny Loktykhov.
US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Putin as Trump’s Ukraine deadline approaches
Shaun Walker
in Kyiv
Russian news agencies said the talks between the US special envoy and the Russian president ended after about three hours, and Witkoff’s convoy was seen leaving the Kremlin. There was no immediate statement from either side on how the talks had gone.
A motorcade carrying Steve Witkoff leaves the Kremlin after his meeting with Vladimir Putin. Photograph: Lev Sergeev/Reuters
The visit is Witkoff’s fifth trip to Moscow in his capacity as Trump’s lead negotiator with the Kremlin, and comes as Trump has begun to talk tough on Russia for the first time since taking over the presidency.
Trump cut short an earlier 50-day deadline to Putin, claiming he saw no desire in the Kremlin to change its behaviour and calling recent strikes that killed civilians in Kyiv “disgusting”. He has now promised to introduce secondary tariffs on countries that import Russian oil if no progress is made by Friday.
After Trump made the threat of further sanctions, the former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev claimed the harsh rhetoric could lead to a direct conflict between Russia and the US. In response, Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to be repositioned.
Putin has given little indication that he is ready to make concessions or willing to adjust Russia’s core war aims. However, reports by Bloomberg and the independent Russian news outlet the Bell have suggested that the Kremlin could propose a halt to long-range strikes by both sides as an offering to Trump.
Both Trump and Kyiv have been calling for a full and unconditional ceasefire, to allow negotiations to begin, but a halt to long-range strikes could offer welcome breathing space to both sides.
‘Useful and constructive’ talks between Putin and Witkoff, Kremlin aide says
In the first briefing from the Russian side, the former Russian ambassador to the US and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters the talks were “useful and constructive.”
He said Russia “received some signals from Trump” and “sent some signals” in response, but did not elaborate on what they were.
He said Putin and Witkoff also discussed the prospects for the development of the “strategic partnership” between the US and Russia.
Putin-Witkoff meeting ends – reports
After just under three hours, Russian news agency Ria is reporting that the meeting between Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff has now concluded.
Let’s wait to see what, if anything, we hear in briefing from both sides of the conversation.
We are getting a bit more detail on the Russian strike on Ukrainian gas facilities overnight(11:59), via Reuters.
Ukraine’s energy ministry said in a statement that the attacked station was used as part of a route connecting Greek liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals with Ukrainian gas storage facilities via the Transbalkan gas pipeline.
It noted that it had already been used to deliver LNG from the US and test volumes of Azerbaijani gas.
“This is a Russian strike purely against civilian infrastructure, deliberately targeting the energy sector and, at the same time, relations with Azerbaijan, the United States and partners in Europe, as well as the normal lives of Ukrainians and all Europeans,” the ministry said.
Russia arrests man accussed of passing satellite secrets to US
In other events that happened just before the talks between Witkoff and Putin, a man accused of passing Russian satellite secrets to the United States has been arrested for suspected treason and placed in pre-trial detention, a court in the Russian city of Kaliningrad said on Wednesday.
Reuters said the suspect was only identified by a single letter, with the court saying he was a former employee of a company producing electronic engines for space satellites.
It said he was suspected of collecting and storing information about the firm’s technology on behalf of US intelligence services between July 2021 and December 2023.
The agency noted that the man could face a potential sentence of life imprisonment.
Russia strikes Ukrainian gas facility overnight, hours before talks
Hours before the meeting, Russia has struck a gas facility in Ukraine’s Odesa region, with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying it was an attempt to undermine Ukrainian preparations for winter, Reuters reported.
“This was a deliberate blow to our preparations for the heating season, absolutely cynical, like every Russian blow to the energy sector,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
Ukraine has faced a serious gas shortage since a series of devastating Russian missile strikes this year, which significantly reduced domestic gas production.
The Russian defence ministry confirmed the attacks on gas transportation facilities in Ukraine, the Tass state news agency reported.
The International Press Institute today joins 15 press freedom groups calling for the immediate end to the starvation and targeting of journalists in Gaza. Israel must end the ongoing blockade on foreign press entry into Gaza and allow global journalists to operate freely and independently.
Read our full statement below.
To Governments, International Organisations, Media Institutions, and Civil Society:
We, the undersigned press freedom organisations, media organisations, journalists’ unions, and advocates of truth and transparency demand an end to the forced starvation and targeting of journalists in Gaza by Israel.
Journalists in Gaza are being starved to death.
Not metaphorically. Not slowly. But deliberately, and in real time, while the world watches.
One in three people in Gaza now goes days without food. Among the starving are journalists, the last independent voices still reporting from inside Gaza. These are the individuals whose courage keeps the world informed of the sheer humanitarian impact of Israel’s war on Gaza. Now, they are being forced die from hunger.
This is not incidental. This is a tactic.
The suffering of journalists is not an accident; Israel is employing deliberate tactics to silence the truth by starving them.
Since the October 2023, over 230 journalists and media workers in Gaza have been killed. Those who remain, and their families, are subjected to constant targeting, intimidation, and denied of their basic needs and now forced to choose between death by airstrike or starvation. Their situation is dire and worsening day by day. Without immediate intervention by the international community, their lives are under serious threat, and they may not be able to continue reporting; their voices may fall silent.
The journalistic community and the world bear an immense responsibility; it is our duty to raise our voices and mobilise all available means to support our colleagues in this noble profession.
If the international community fails to act, the death of these journalists will not only be a moral catastrophe, but it will also be the death of truth itself in Gaza. Our inaction will be recorded in history as a monumental failure to protect our fellow journalists and a betrayal of the principles that every journalist strives to uphold.
We, the undersigned, demand:
Immediate Food and Medical Access: Urgent delivery of food, clean water, and medical supplies to all journalists in Gaza through protected humanitarian corridors.
International Media Access: End the blockade on foreign press entry into Gaza and allow global journalists to operate freely and independently.
Accountability: Investigate and prosecute those responsible for the starvation and killing of journalists in accordance with international law.
Sustained Protection and Aid: Commit to long-term protection mechanisms for journalists operating in conflict zones, with specific support for those reporting under siege.
We refuse to stand by while truth dies. We refuse to let our colleagues perish from hunger.
Signed:
Al Jazeera Media Network
Arab organization for Human Rights in the UK
Aidan White, Founder, Ethical Journalism Network
Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor
Federation of African Journalists
Geneva Global Media Center (GGMC)
International Press Institute (IPI)
International Media Support (IMS)
Index on Censorship
James Foley Foundation
John Williams, Executive Director, The Rory Peck Trust
National Press Club (NPC) & NPC Media Freedom Center
To Governments, International Organisations, Media Institutions, and Civil Society:
We, the undersigned press freedom organisations, media organisations, journalists’ unions, and advocates of truth and transparency demand an end to the forced starvation and targeting of journalists in Gaza by Israel.
Journalists in Gaza are being starved to death.
Not metaphorically. Not slowly. But deliberately, and in real time, while the world watches.
One in three people in Gaza now goes days without food. Among the starving are journalists, the last independent voices still reporting from inside Gaza. These are the individuals whose courage keeps the world informed of the sheer humanitarian impact of Israel’s war on Gaza. Now, they are being forced die from hunger.
This is not incidental. This is a tactic.
The suffering of journalists is not an accident; Israel is employing deliberate tactics to silence the truth by starving them.
Since the October 2023, over 230 journalists and media workers in Gaza have been killed. Those who remain, and their families, are subjected to constant targeting, intimidation, and denied of their basic needs and now forced to choose between death by airstrike or starvation. Their situation is dire and worsening day by day. Without immediate intervention by the international community, their lives are under serious threat, and they may not be able to continue reporting; their voices may fall silent.
The journalistic community and the world bear an immense responsibility; it is our duty to raise our voices and mobilise all available means to support our colleagues in this noble profession.
If the international community fails to act, the death of these journalists will not only be a moral catastrophe, but it will also be the death of truth itself in Gaza. Our inaction will be recorded in history as a monumental failure to protect our fellow journalists and a betrayal of the principles that every journalist strives to uphold.
We, the undersigned, demand:
Immediate Food and Medical Access: Urgent delivery of food, clean water, and medical supplies to all journalists in Gaza through protected humanitarian corridors.
International Media Access: End the blockade on foreign press entry into Gaza and allow global journalists to operate freely and independently.
Accountability: Investigate and prosecute those responsible for the starvation and killing of journalists in accordance with international law.
Sustained Protection and Aid: Commit to long-term protection mechanisms for journalists operating in conflict zones, with specific support for those reporting under siege.
We refuse to stand by while truth dies. We refuse to let our colleagues perish from hunger.
Signed:
Al Jazeera Media Network
Arab organization for Human Rights in the UK
Aidan White, Founder, Ethical Journalism Network
Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor
Federation of African Journalists
Geneva Global Media Center (GGMC)
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
International Press Institute (IPI)
International Media Support (IMS)
Index on Censorship
James Foley Foundation
John Williams, Executive Director, The Rory Peck Trust
National Press Club (NPC) & NPC Media Freedom Center
NEW DELHI: Indian hotel suppliers are planning to display their products at a supplies expo in Jeddah in December, as they seek to enter the growing Saudi hospitality market.
The Saudi port city is hosting the 2025 Hotel and Restaurant Supplies Expo from Dec. 9-11. This will be the seventh edition of the exhibition, which connects international suppliers with hospitality players in the Kingdom.
For the first time, the event will feature a “Made in India” showcase to highlight India’s role as a “rapidly emerging” and “go-to” sourcing hub for the global hospitality sector.
“We are expecting high interest from Indian manufacturers to enter the Saudi market as India has the best quality with the manufacturing (of) hospitality (products),” Zeinab Ayoub, marketing manager of Jeddah-based exhibition organizer Wehdat Al-Ertikaz, told Arab News.
Ayoub attended at the International Hospitality Expo in the Indian city of Greater Noida this week to encourage potential Indian suppliers to join the Jeddah expo in December.
“Lots of exhibitors are interested to join the exhibition because they want to enter the Saudi market. For most of them it is the first time to enter Saudi Arabia, so this is an opportunity,” she said.
“We have met lots of exhibitors from different categories; mattresses, F&B, horeca (hotels, restaurants, cafes) suppliers, tableware, textiles, hotel amenities.”
Indian manufacturers see the Jeddah event as their opportunity to enter the Saudi market, especially after businesses from the Kingdom and the wider Gulf region showed interest for their products at the event in Noida.
“If we get an opportunity to work with the Saudi people we will love to do that. We have got few clients, few enquiries from the Saudi people. There is another show that is happening in Jeddah and we are definitely going to participate in that show,” Pawan Kumar Verma, owner of 17 Nakshtra Art Works manufacturer, told Arab News.
“Saudi is a big market, it’s a big lucrative market. Definitely we will look forward to seeing that market and we are very keen to work with the Saudi people … there are new hotels, upcoming hotels. So we will have good opportunities out there.”
Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to develop the tourism industry — its second largest after oil — to make the Kingdom one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the world.
The government’s strategy appears to focus on building high-end properties, with global real estate consultancy Knight Frank expecting more than 58,000 new hotel rooms developed in the next five years.
Yash Nagpal, owner of a mirror manufacturing company, sees the Saudi pivot to upscale properties as an opportunity for his products.
“Saudi Arabia has taken a lot of initiative towards tourism and all that. It is good to see a country improving in terms of tourism. It is helping us also that the hospitality industry is growing,” he told Arab News.
“From the past few years it has been one of the main markets for Indian business exports … I would like to work with Saudi Arabia, even with the mirrors, we have a luxury feel, so (in line) with the Saudi Arabian vibes.”
Navneet Kamra, owner of Delhi-based Iris Hotel Craft, also sees the Saudi market as key to his business growth.
“Saudi Arabia is a good country, they are expanding. It’s a bigger opportunity for us. There is a huge demand in the coming years and we can fulfil,” he told Arab News.
“Saudis are growing so we can also grow with them.”
More than 100 people are missing after floods swept through a village in Uttarakhand.
More than 100 people are missing and at least four people have died after flash floods swept through the village of Dharali, in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Teams from the army and disaster response forces are operating in the area to rescue people trapped under debris, local authorities have said.
“A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the Kheer Gad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement,” the Central Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X.
Flash floods in Uttarkashi, where Dharali is situated, were triggered by intense rainfall known as a “cloudburst”, which caused the Kheerganga river to swell, at around 1:30pm local time (08:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that heavy rainfall will continue for the next few days.
(Al Jazeera)
What is a cloudburst?
A cloudburst is an intense downpour that delivers a large volume of rain in a short time. It is often accompanied by thunder and hail and can cause flash floods.
At any given time, clouds blanket about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. Cloudbursts are often associated with cumulonimbus clouds, which contain large amounts of water.
(Al Jazeera)
The IMD said that over the past 24 hours, extreme rainfall of 21cm (8.3 inches) or more had been recorded in parts of northwest India, including Uttarakhand, where the flash floods happened – more than the 10cm (3.9 inches) of rain per hour required to be classed as a cloudburst, according to the IMD.
Cloudbursts tend to occur over a small geographical region of 20 to 30 square kilometres (7.7 to 11.6 square miles)
Is this caused by climate change?
Uttarakhand, which has a large amount of mountainous and often unstable terrain, is prone to monsoon-related flooding. Dharali village is nestled in the Himalayas between the villages of Harsil and Gangotri.
Uttarakhand is particularly vulnerable to climate change given the fragility of the Himalayan region. In particular, it is exposed to excessive precipitation, cloudbursts, flood events and periods of very cold weather (cold waves), according to a study published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.
That study found that districts in higher regions are more exposed to these effects because of their inability to adjust to weather-related and climate changes and because the ecosystems in these areas are more sensitive to such changes.
Experts say global warming will cause mountain temperatures to rise faster than the global average.
Catastrophic flooding that has historically affected Uttarakhand will become more common as rising temperatures lead to hastening glacier melting, such as the Gangotri, the glacier that is closest to Dharali.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, rising temperatures in the Himalayas will ultimately reduce the size of glaciers, resulting in a reduction in the long-term availability of water for agriculture, people and power systems. It will also cause more solar energy absorption – accelerating the effects of global warming – because areas of glacial melting will be replaced by water or land, and the amount of light currently reflected by existing glaciers will decrease.
US President Donald Trump meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 13, 2025. Modi will try to rekindle his bromance with Donal
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
The White House announced Wednesday that it is imposing an additional 25% tariff on India, bringing the total levies against the major United States trading partner to 50%.
“I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” President Donald Trump said in an executive order.
“Accordingly, and as consistent with applicable law, articles of India imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 25 percent,” the executive order reads.
Trump last week said that India would pay a tariff of 25%, in addition to a “penalty” over the country’s purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia. It was not clear at the time what such a penalty might look like.
Read more CNBC politics coverage
But Trump said Tuesday that he would raise the tariff on India “very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they’re buying Russian oil, they’re fueling the war machine.”
“And if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy,” Trump said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Trump’s new tariff rate on India is among the highest levy on all of the United States’ trading partners. It’s the latest sign that Trump is moving on making good on his threat to punish countries that buy Russian oil, as he’s increased his rhetoric in recent weeks over President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
