U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that Washington has yet to impose its “Phase-2” and “Phase-3” tariffs, stressing that secondary sanctions on India already serve as direct punitive measures against Russia, costing Moscow “hundreds of billions of dollars.”
Trump made this statement when questioned about his apparent lack of direct action against Russia since assuming the presidency in January this year.
He further identified India as the second-largest purchaser of Russian oil after China, suggesting that New Delhi could encounter more penalties if it persists in importing energy from Moscow.
Although Washington has temporarily postponed additional tariffs on China until November, India has not been spared. A 25% duty was applied earlier this month, followed by an additional 25% secondary sanction on August 27, effectively raising the levy to 50% on Indian exports to the United States.
‘Action’ Against Russia
Trump insisted these measures represented significant action against Russia, as they targeted its oil revenues through its largest foreign buyers.
“Would you really say that placing secondary sanctions on India, the biggest purchaser outside of China—virtually on par with them—amounts to no action? This has cost Russia hundreds of billions of dollars. You call that nothing? I still haven’t rolled out Phase-2 or Phase-3,” Trump remarked during a joint press appearance with the Polish President at the White House.
The U.S. president recalled his prior warning that India would face “serious consequences” if it persisted with Russian oil acquisitions. “Just two weeks ago, I said if India keeps buying, India will have big problems—and that is exactly what happened,” he added.
In an earlier interview, Trump also claimed that New Delhi had offered him a “no-tariff” arrangement in response to Washington’s move to sharply raise duties on Indian goods.
Trump’s Zero-Tariff Claim
Speaking on The Scott Jennings Radio Show, he stated, “India was once the most highly tariffed country in the world, and you know what—they’ve now offered me zero tariffs in India. Without tariffs, they would have never made that offer.”
Reiterating his long-held position on trade, Trump argued that tariffs were crucial to correcting global imbalances. “China kills us with tariffs, India kills us with tariffs, Brazil kills us with tariffs. Nobody understands tariffs better than I do,” he declared.
On Monday, Trump once again criticised the state of bilateral trade with India, describing it as a “completely one-sided disaster.” He asserted that India had long benefited disproportionately from trade with the United States, while American businesses had struggled to access the Indian market because of steep import duties.
“India has now offered to eliminate tariffs entirely, but it’s coming too late. For decades, it was a completely lopsided relationship,” Trump said.
(With inputs from IBNS)
