Trump's doubling of tariffs on goods from India to as much as 50% takes effect
發佈日期: 2025-08-27 20:02
TVB News
U.S. President Donald Trump's doubling of tariffs on goods from India to as much as 50 percent took effect as scheduled today.
This, in an escalation of tensions between the two strategic partners.
A punitive 25 percent tariff imposed due to India's purchases of Russian oil adds to U.S. President Donald Trump's prior 25 percent tariff on many products from India.
It takes total duties to as high as 50 percent for Indian goods such as garments, gems and jewellery, footwear, sporting goods, furniture and chemicals.
These are among the highest imposed by the U.S.and on par with Brazil and China.
Speaking on condition of anonymity,an Indian Commerce Ministry official said exporters in India hit by tariffs would receive financial assistance.
The official outlined they would be encouraged to diversify to other markets.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection notice to shippers provides a three-week exemption for Indian goods that were loaded onto a vessel and in transit to the U.S. before the midnight deadline.
These goods can still enter the U.S. at prior lower tariff rates before 12:01 a.m. on September 17th.
Also exempted are steel, aluminium and derivative products, passenger vehicles, copper and other goods subject to separate tariffs of up to 50 percent under the Section 232 national security trade law.
The two-way goods trade between India and the U.S. totalled 129 billion dollars in 2024, with a 45.8-billion-dollar U.S. trade deficit.
Exporter groups estimate hikes could affect nearly 55 percent of India's 87 billion dollars in merchandise exports to the U.S.
They say it could also benefit India's competitors such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and China.
Wednesday's tariff move follows five rounds of failed talks.
Officials on both sides blamed political misjudgement and missed signals for the breakdown in talks between the world's biggest and fifth-largest economies.
A German newspaper reported Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to take calls from U.S. President Donald Trump on four occasions in recent weeks.
The Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung suggested this may have been an attempt by Modi to signal India will not cave into U.S. demands.
The U.S.-India standoff has raised questions about the broader relationship between Washington and New Delhi.
However, ahead of the imposition of the U.S. tariffs, both sides expressed "eagerness to continue enhancing the breadth and depth of the bilateral relationship."
The two nations also reaffirmed their commitment to the Quad, a partnership that brings together the U.S., India, Australia and Japan.
