Trump warns he’ll slap a 50% levy on Indian imports over its Russia ties and role in BRICS

Trump warns he’ll slap a 50% levy on Indian imports over its Russia ties and role in BRICS

The White House has moved to impose an extra 25 percent duty on Indian imports—bringing the total levy to 50 percent—in direct response to New Delhi’s ongoing purchases of Russian oil, according to an executive order signed Wednesday morning.

India now has 21 days to formally object before the new tariffs take effect. These duties stack on top of the 25 percent “reciprocal” tariff President Trump announced last week as punishment for India’s trade ties with Russia. On social media, Mr. Trump accused India of being “the largest purchaser of Russia’s energy” and scoffed at New Delhi’s relationship with Moscow: “I don’t care what India does to Russia. They can bring down their dead economies together, for all I care,” he wrote.

Trump had signaled the decision Tuesday in an interview with CNBC, charging that India was “fueling the war machine” in Ukraine. New Delhi’s Ministry of External Affairs swiftly branded the move “unjust, unjustified and unreasonable,” insisting its oil purchases are driven solely by global market dynamics and the imperative of securing energy for 1.4 billion citizens. “India will take all necessary steps to protect its national interest,” the ministry declared.

The president has also taken aim at India’s role in the BRICS bloc—alongside Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa—denouncing the grouping as “anti-American.” U.S. customs figures show Indian exports to America totaled roughly $129 billion in 2024. Now, India joins Brazil as the only countries facing a 50 percent U.S. tariff, with Brazil’s surcharge stemming from tensions over the arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro. On Friday, additional “reciprocal” duties kick in: 35 percent on Canadian goods and 25 percent on Mexican shipments.

This tariff escalation unfolds amid Mr. Trump’s broader campaign to force a swift end to Russia’s war in Ukraine—a conflict he once vowed to resolve within 24 hours of returning to the Oval Office. To that end, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff flew to Moscow Wednesday for talks with Kremlin officials, though no details have been released. Pressed on Sunday about the consequences if Russia misses a Friday deadline to agree to peace terms, the president replied, “Well, there will be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty effective at preventing them.”