U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that India has offered to slash tariffs on American goods “to nothing,” even as he described the current trade standoff between the two countries as a “totally one-sided disaster.” His comments come just days after Washington imposed 50% tariffs on Indian exports, which include a 25% penalty tied to New Delhi’s refusal to stop importing oil from Russia.
India has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest remarks, but tensions between the two countries are at a low point. Washington has accused New Delhi of indirectly funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine, pointing out that India buys most of its oil and military hardware from Russia while doing relatively little trade with the U.S. In his posts, Trump said Delhi should have removed tariffs “years ago,” adding that America has been India’s largest customer while receiving far less in return.
Indian officials have consistently defended their decision to continue importing Russian crude, saying the supplies are essential to meet the energy needs of the country’s vast population. They have also condemned the tariffs as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.” Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stressed last week that India “will neither bow down nor ever appear weak” in its economic relationships, and said the country is open to free trade agreements with any willing partner.
Trump’s statements coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appearance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The summit, which includes China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Russia, is widely seen as a counterbalance to U.S. influence. Modi was photographed shaking hands with Putin and later spent 45 minutes in the Russian leader’s car, describing their talks as an “insightful exchange.”
The escalating trade dispute has raised concerns that India’s export-driven growth could take a hit, especially as the U.S. was until recently its largest trading partner. For now, Trump’s aggressive tariffs and fiery rhetoric have cast a shadow over Washington’s ties with New Delhi at a time when India is drawing closer to Moscow and Beijing.