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By Kanishka Singh and Doina Chiacu
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump said on Monday he will substantially raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases, while New Delhi said it would take measures to safeguard its interests and called its targeting by the U.S. president “unjustified.”
Trump said last week Washington was still negotiating with India on trade after announcing the U.S. would impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from the country starting last Friday.
India has faced pressure from the West, including the U.S., to distance itself from Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. New Delhi has resisted that pressure, citing its longstanding ties with Russia and economic needs.”India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”
He did not elaborate on what the tariff would be.
Over the weekend, two Indian government sources told Reuters that India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite Trump’s threats. The sources did not wish to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Washington has cited geopolitical disagreements with India to explain why it has not yet been able to reach a trade deal with New Delhi.
Other than India’s ties with Russia, Trump has cast the BRICS group of developing nations – of which India is a key part – as hostile to the U.S. Those nations have dismissed that accusation, saying the group promotes the interests of its members and of developing countries at large.
A spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry said India will “take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”
“In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable,” the spokesperson added.
India began importing oil from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, the Indian statement said.
The spokesperson said India’s imports were meant to ensure affordable energy costs for Indian consumers and were a “necessity compelled by global market situation.”
The statement also noted the West’s, particularly the European Union’s, bilateral trade with Russia: “It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia.”
India also has been frustrated by Trump repeatedly taking credit for an India-Pakistan ceasefire that he announced on social media on May 10. The ceasefire halted days of hostilities between the nuclear-armed Asian neighbors.
India’s position has been that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve their issues directly without outside involvement.
Trump has reached a trade deal with Pakistan.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Doina Chiacu in Washington, Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru, and Shivam Patel and Manoj Kumar in New Delhi; Writing by Caitlin Webber and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Franklin Paul, Mark Potter and Bill Berkrot)
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