“India Fueling War Machine”: Trump’s 24-Hour ‘Substantial’ Tariff Threat
NEW DELHI, India – August 5, 2025: Things just got tenser between the U.S. and India. President Trump threatened to jack up tariffs on India after already slapping a 25% tariff on them just a day before. In a social media post, Trump said India’s buying of Russian oil is the reason. He accused India of helping Russia’s war and making money by reselling the oil. The Indian government fired back, calling the criticism unfair. This quick back-and-forth has made things really shaky between the U.S. and India, showing the struggle between making economic sense and playing politics.
Trump’s Angry Social Media Post
Trump went on social media on August 4, 2025, to make his tariff threat. He said India was buying tons of Russian oil and reselling it for huge profits. Then he warned, Because of this, I’m raising the tariff paid by India to the USA A LOT. This is a step up from the 25% tariff on Indian exports that started on August 1, 2025.
He didn’t say how high the new tariff would be or when it would start, but it sounds like the U.S. is ready to hit India even harder than before. This is bad news for Indian exporters and the whole economy, since they depend a lot on trading with the U.S.
India’s Response: You’re Being Hypocritical
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) quickly put out a statement defending India’s actions as necessary because of the world market to make sure Indian consumers get cheap energy. Basically, they said it’s their right to make their own energy policy to protect their country.
India also accused its critics of double standards. The MEA pointed out that the European Union and the United States still trade a lot with Russia. They said the EU traded over €67.5 billion with Russia in 2024, which is way more than India’s total trade with Russia. The MEA also mentioned that the U.S. imports things like uranium, palladium, and fertilizers from Russia.
Why India Buys Oil From Russia
The MEA also explained that India only started buying a lot more Russian oil after the Ukraine war. Before that, they got their oil from the Middle East, but that oil was being sent to Europe instead. The statement surprisingly claimed that the U.S. had pushed India to buy Russian oil to keep the global energy market stable back then.
This makes it look like the U.S. is changing its mind, which India is using to defend itself. They’re saying that what they’re being punished for now was something the U.S. thought was helpful before.
What This Means for India’s Economy
These tariff threats are a big worry for India’s economy. The existing 25% tariff is expected to cut India’s exports to the U.S. by almost 30%. And a big increase would make things even worse, especially for industries like textiles, jewelry, and shrimp exports.
The Indian government is saying they’ll support exporters and try to get people to buy more Indian-made products to rely less on other countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been talking about the need for India to be self-sufficient, which is a message that people like and a way to push back against outside pressure.
More Than Just Money
This fight over tariffs and oil is not just about money; it’s about who has the power. Trump’s words also connect the tariffs to India’s military ties with Russia, which the U.S. has always been suspicious of. It seems like the tariffs are a way to pressure India to change its energy policy and its relationship with Russia.
With trade talks still happening, the future of the U.S.-India relationship is uncertain. India is standing its ground, showing it’s confident on the world stage, while the U.S. is using tough tactics to try to control things. How this ends will have a big impact on both countries and the world.
