26 Aug 2025: The US on Monday outlined plans to implement a 50 percent tariff on products from India, which Donald Trump had announced earlier, in a draft notice published by the Department of Homeland Security.
The notice is the latest signal that the White House plans to push ahead with the heightened levies as efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine appear to be stalling.
The notice said that the increased levies would hit Indian products “that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 AM eastern daylight time on August 27, 2025.”
US President Donald Trump announced earlier this month plans to double tariffs on Indian goods from 25 percent to 50 percent on purchases of Russian oil and had set an August 27 deadline for implementation.
The US hopes to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table to end the war against Ukraine by trying to curb Moscow’s oil trade. The Indian government has decried the so-called secondary tariffs as unfair and has strongly defended its interests.
PM Narendra Modi’s message to the US on Donald Trump’s tariffs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that India won’t compromise on the interests of farmers and small businesses. His statement came as the prospect of 50 percent US tariffs on India loomed large.
“For Modi, interests of farmers, cattle rearers and small-scale industries are paramount. The pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it all,” the prime minister said during a gathering in Ahmedabad. He was in the city to launch multiple civic projects.
Modi said that India is empowered by ‘Chakradhaari’ Lord Krishna and ‘Charkhadhari’ Mahatma Gandhi.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday strongly defended India’s energy choices, asserting that New Delhi would continue to make decisions in line with its national interest and strategic autonomy.
Jaishankar argued that the US tariff issue was being wrongly presented as an “oil dispute”. He noted that the same criticism levelled at India for purchasing Russian energy had not been applied to larger importers, such as China and European nations.
Summary:
The United States has issued a formal notice to India ahead of Donald Trump’s proposed 50% tariff deadline, raising concerns about trade relations and potential economic repercussions.