Trump Halts All Trade Talks With India Amid Escalating Tariff Row
US President Donald Trump has shut the door on further trade negotiations with India, declaring a full stop until the current dispute over tariffs and Russian oil is resolved. The move, announced just a day after he imposed a staggering 50% tariff on all Indian imports, marks a new low in bilateral relations and signals a deep freeze in economic dialogue between the two nations.
“Not until we get it resolved,” Trump stated unequivocally in the Oval Office when asked if more talks were on the table. His hardline stance follows the signing of an executive order that slapped an additional 25% levy on Indian goods, a direct penalty for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The new tariffs, set to take effect on August 27, have pushed US-India trade tensions to their highest point in over two decades.
India has reacted with defiance. The Ministry of External Affairs slammed the US action as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” while Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a powerful address, vowing to protect the nation’s interests, particularly those of its farmers.
“India will never compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers,” PM Modi said. “I know I will have to pay a heavy price for it personally, and I am ready for it. India is ready for it.” His comments were a clear message that India would not buckle under pressure.
New Delhi has also pointed to a perceived double standard in Washington’s policy, noting that other major importers of Russian oil, such as China and Turkey, have not been subjected to similar punitive measures.
Ironically, while India faces crippling tariffs, the US’s own 145% tariff on Chinese goods remains suspended under a temporary truce, an agreement that is set to expire on August 12. Trump had earlier warned of “secondary sanctions” on other countries trading with Moscow, but for now, India remains the primary target of his administration’s economic wrath.
