Former US Ambassador to the UN and Republican leader Nikki Haley has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s call for a steep hike in tariffs on Indian imports over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. In a post on X, Haley accused Trump of being soft on China, the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian ”oil”, while threatening to fracture ties with a long-time strategic partner like India.
“India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary… got a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India,” Haley wrote.
The comments came shortly after Trump told CNBC that his administration would “very substantially” increase tariffs on Indian imports, currently at 25%, within 24 hours due to India “fueling the Russian war machine.” He alleged that India was reselling Russian oil “for big profits” on the global market.
Trump Doubles Down on Tariffs
The President reiterated his stance on Truth Social, stating that India’s oil trade with Russia showed disregard for the war in Ukraine.
“They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine… I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,” he posted.
While Trump has not specified the new tariff rate, the remarks triggered swift backlash from Indian officials and policy experts.
India Hits Back: “Unjustified and Unreasonable”
Reacting to the threat, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strongly worded statement on Monday, calling the targeting of India “unjustified and unreasonable.”
“India began importing from Russia because traditional suppliers were diverted to Europe… These imports are a necessity compelled by the global market situation,” the MEA said.
The ministry also called out what it termed the “hypocrisy” of Western nations, pointing to the European Union’s €67.5 billion worth of trade in goods with Russia in 2024, alongside record LNG imports and continued purchases of fertilizers, chemicals, and steel.
In comparison, India’s trade with Russia, the MEA emphasized, remained modest and vital for domestic energy security.
Also Read: India Is Not the “Tariff King” Trump Claims—Here’s the Real Story
China Gets a Tariff Pause
What has particularly irked critics like Haley is the 90-day tariff pause announced between the US and China earlier this year. Under the arrangement, US tariffs on Chinese goods were cut from 145% to 30%, and Chinese duties dropped from 125% to 10%, as per an Al Jazeera report.
This disparity has raised questions among strategic experts about the logic and optics of penalizing India, a Quad partner and long-standing US ally, while easing trade terms with China amid ongoing tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
“India-Russia Ties Shouldn’t Be Seen Through Third-Country Prism”
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal last week reiterated India’s consistent position on energy sourcing: “We look at what is available in the market and the prevailing global situation.” He also noted that India’s foreign relations “should not be seen from the prism of a third country.”
“As far as India-Russia relations are concerned, we have a steady and time-tested partnership,” he added.
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Global Fallout Looms?
Policy experts have warned that a potential halt to Russian oil imports by India could spike global crude prices to as high as $200 per barrel, sending shockwaves through energy markets.
Despite hopes of a breakthrough interim trade deal between India and the US, Trump’s renewed push for penalties and tariff hikes may complicate future negotiations and impact bilateral ties ahead of the US elections.
