Trump hits India with additional 25% tariffs, brings total rate to 50%
發佈日期: 2025-08-07 20:55
TVB News
U.S. President Donald Trump has slapped an additional 25-percent tariff on imports from India.
The order, effective 21 days after the announcement, will push the total tariffs on India to 50 percent, which is among the highest duties imposed by Washington.
In response to Trump's latest salvo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he will not compromise the interests of their farmers even if he has to pay a heavy price for it.
Danni Zhou tells us more.
Just after midnight, the U.S. officially put forward a new wave of tariffs on goods from over 60 countries and the European Union, with rates ranging from 10 percent up.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to place a punitive secondary tariff of 25 percent on Indian goods that's stacked on top of the 25 percent levies announced at the end of July.
The new rate, due to kick in on August 27th, will bring the combined U.S. tariffs on the South Asian country to the same level as Brazil, another BRICS member.
Washington is justifying the hike by saying India's continued purchases of Russian oil and gas is helping Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.
Trump warned that more punishment is coming for third-party nations buying Russian energy products.
He said: "You're going to see a lot more, you're going to see so much secondary sanctions."
While officials in Washington and Beijing are working to extend their trade truce, which is set to expire in mid-August, the Republican president signalled that China could potentially be hit by his sanctions.
Trump said: "Could happen, depends on how we do. It may happen. I mean, I don't know, I can't tell you yet. We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China."
The Indian government reacted strongly to the additional tariffs, calling them "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable." The country's foreign ministry spokesman has pledged to take all actions necessary to protect national interests.
In a public address on Thursday, seen as a message to Washington, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed "India will never compromise on the interests of its farmers, livestock owners, and fishermen."
According to estimates by some local think tanks, the taxes may impact 40 to 50 percent of Indian goods exported to the U.S.
Sources say Modi will soon undertake an official visit to China for the first time in seven years to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, a possible indication for more interactions with China and Russia.
Meanwhile, with the harsh U.S. tariffs in play, the Brazilian president said he would reach out to BRICS member states to initiate a joint response.
He told Reuters there's no reciprocal tariffs from Brazil and rejected any move to "humiliate himself" by seeking direct talks with Trump.
