U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a crushing 50% tariff on Indian goods Wednesday to punish the country for buying Russian oil, upending a decadeslong push by Washington to forge closer ties with New Delhi.
The new tariffs, the highest in Asia, took effect at 12:01 a.m. in Washington, doubling the existing 25% duty on Indian exports. The levies will hit more than 55% of goods shipped to the U.S. — India’s biggest market — and hurt labor-intensive industries like textiles and jewelry the most. Key exports like electronics and pharmaceuticals are exempt, sparing Apple’s massive new factory investments in India for now.
The move marks a sharp deterioration in ties for the two nations and an about-turn in Washington’s strategy over the years to court India as a counterweight to China. Trump has slammed India for buying Russian oil, which he said was funding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. New Delhi has defended its ties with Russia and has called the U.S.’s actions “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
