India vows to protect national interests as Donald Trump raises US tariff on India to 50%

New Delhi: India vowed to protect its national interest after President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional tariff of 25% on the South Asian nation for buying oil from Russia.

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi stated that it was “extremely unfortunate” that the US had decided to impose additional tariffs on India “for actions that several other countries” were also taking “in their own national interests”. It noted that the US actions against India were “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.

“India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests,” Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in New Delhi after the new US tariff was announced from Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

With no breakthrough yet on the negotiations on the proposed trade deal between New Delhi and Washington, D.C., Trump had on July 30 announced a 25% tariff on all goods exported by India to the US on July 30. He had also slammed New Delhi for buying defence hardware and energy from Russia, despite the former Soviet Union nation’s special military operations in Ukraine. He followed it up on July 31 by calling India’s economy ‘dead’ and even announced a trade deal with its neighbour and arch-rival Pakistan. He, however, said on August 1 that he had heard that India would take a “good step” and stop buying crude oil from Russia. New Delhi, however, did not confirm or deny any move on its part to stop buying hydrocarbons from Russia.

Trump on Wednesday moved to levy an additional 25% on all US imports from India, thus totalling the tariff at 50%.

“We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India,” Jaiswal said on Wednesday, reiterating that these actions by the US on India were “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.

India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests, he added.