New York/Washington, August 8 – US President Donald Trump has dismissed the possibility of engaging in trade talks with India until the ongoing tariff dispute between the two countries is settled. Responding to questions at the Oval Office on Thursday about whether discussions could proceed following his announcement of a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, Trump stated that negotiations would not take place until the matter was resolved.
Last week, Trump announced a 25 percent retaliatory tariff on Indian imports, which came into effect on August 7. In addition, he signed an executive order imposing a further 25 percent levy on India for purchasing oil from Russia, raising the total tariff to 50 percent. This combined rate, set to be implemented in two stages, is among the highest ever imposed by the United States on any country. The additional 25 percent duty will take effect 21 days later, on August 27.
As per agency report, India’s Ministry of External Affairs described Washington’s move as unfair and unreasonable, stressing that the country would take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
Prominent Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra commented that much is at stake amid the escalating tariffs. He described it as unfortunate that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine as desired by Trump. In a post on X, Batra argued that harming India was equivalent to harming Russia, but would also cause significant damage to others.
Batra further stated that the United States expects Putin to agree to a genuine ceasefire with Ukraine without any hidden conditions, after which leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could become US allies. He warned that a mature course correction was necessary to avoid a potential domino effect that could harm all parties involved. The term refers to a chain reaction in which one event triggers a sequence of subsequent events with widespread consequences.
