India’s reaction to the imposition of additional tariffs has been revealed
New Delhi, India – When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, many Indian analysts celebrated, arguing that his bonhomie with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would shield the country from the chaos that the United States president could unleash.
The two leaders had effectively campaigned for each other previously, attending joint rallies. They have repeatedly described each other as friends and, in February, Modi was among the first world leaders to visit Trump in the White House.
But six months later, a sobering reality has hit New Delhi. Trump first punished it with a 25 percent tariff on imports in late July and then, on Wednesday, he doubled that to 50 percent because of India’s oil purchases from Russia, as he tries to force Moscow into accepting a ceasefire in its war on Ukraine.
On Wednesday, an official spokesperson for the Indian government responded to the announcement of the additional 25 percent tariff. “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,” the spokesperson said.
“It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest. We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.
