WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump imposed a crushing 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods to punish the country for buying Russian oil, upending a decades-long push by Washington to forge closer ties with New Delhi, according to Bloomberg.
The new tariffs, the highest in Asia, took effect at 12:01 a.m. in Washington on Wednesday, doubling the existing 25% duty on Indian exports. The levies will hit more than 55% of goods shipped to the US — India’s biggest market — and hurt labour-intensive industries like textiles and jewelry the most. Key exports like electronics and pharmaceuticals are exempt, sparing Apple Inc.’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 President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. New Delhi has defended its ties with Russia and has called the US’s actions “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
The sky-high tariffs threaten India’s export competitiveness against rivals like China and Vietnam, while raising questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitions to transform the South Asian nation into a major manufacturing hub.
Exporters of clothing, footwear and small manufactured goods like toys are bracing for falling orders and possible job cuts.
“This is going to be a very big impact on Indian exporters because 50% tariffs are not workable for the clients,” said Israr Ahmed, managing director of Farida Shoes Pvt. Ltd., which depends on the US for 60% of its business. He says buyers have asked exporters to share specification of goods with suppliers in other nations, increasing the threat of orders being diverted to countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam.
India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry didn’t respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The tariffs have stunned Indian officials, and follow months of trade talks between New Delhi and Washington. India was among the first countries to open trade talks with the Trump administration, but its own high tariffs and protectionist policies in sectors such as agriculture and dairy have frustrated US negotiators.