Indian Thought Latest News & Views
Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “is not very happy ( happy ) with me” because Washington has imposed tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Speaking at the House GOP Member Retreat, Trump also claimed that “Prime Minister Modi came to see me, I have a very good relationship with him. He’s not as happy with me because he’s having to pay a lot of tariffs. But as you know, they’ve now significantly reduced their oil trade with Russia.”
The ‘House GOP Member Retreat’ is an annual meeting of Republican members of the US House of Representatives. Trump has imposed a 50 percent tariff on India, which includes a 25 percent tariff on oil purchases from Russia. Trump also said that India has told him that it has been waiting for Apache helicopters for five years. He said, “We are changing that. India has ordered 68 Apache helicopters.”
Warning of tariff hikes
Earlier, Trump had warned the previous day that Washington could further increase tariffs on Indian goods if New Delhi did not address US concerns about its oil imports from Russia. Trump had previously said, “They do trade, and we can put tariffs on them very quickly.”
The US is trying to reduce its trade deficit with India and last year doubled import tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent, citing India’s large-scale purchases of crude oil from Russia. India and the US are also negotiating a potential trade agreement.
India stands firm on its policy
India has consistently defended its decision to import oil from Russia, stating that the oil purchases are based on the country’s national interest and the need to ensure affordable fuel supplies for its citizens. India has also reiterated that it will continue to engage with all global partners while safeguarding its strategic and economic priorities. Since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, India has emerged as the largest buyer of Russian oil. This move has been consistently criticized by the US.
