Guwahati: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his administration’s secondary sanctions on India as a key measure to pressure Russia, while indicating potential additional steps against Moscow.
At the same time, he ruled out any reduction in the 50% punitive tariffs imposed on New Delhi.
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Trump made the remarks during a meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the Oval Office, responding to a journalist’s question about whether the sanctions were sufficient.
“Would you say that putting secondary sanctions on India… That cost hundreds of billions of dollars to Russia. You call that no action? And I haven’t done phase two yet or phase three,” Trump said, without specifying what further measures might entail.
The president’s comments follow his recent rejection of lowering tariffs on India. “No,” he responded when asked if a reduction was under consideration, though he added, “We get along with India very well,” before criticizing what he described as a historically imbalanced trade relationship due to high Indian levies. “India was charging us tremendous tariffs, about the highest in the world,” he said.
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Trump’s statements underscore the ongoing trade and diplomatic tension between the US and India, which has intensified since the imposition of punitive duties in August.
Trade negotiations between the two countries, scheduled for their sixth round on August 25 in New Delhi, remain suspended, with previous rounds stalling over disputes related to agricultural market access, tariff reciprocity, and unresolved World Trade Organization (WTO) cases.
Indian officials, including Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, have maintained that both sides aim to conclude a trade deal by November, though “geopolitical issues” have slowed progress.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insisted that India will not compromise on the interests of farmers, cattle-rearers, and small-scale industries, warning that “pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it.”
The Trump administration has argued that India’s imports of Russian oil—over 1.5 million barrels daily—finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine. US officials allege that India has used American trade dollars to purchase discounted Russian crude, with some refined products subsequently exported to global markets.
India has termed the tariffs “unjustified and unreasonable”, asserting that it will take all necessary measures to protect its national interests and economic security.