Trump said in a post on the “Truth Social” platform: “So far, India has imposed very high tariffs on us that prevented our companies from selling their products in the Indian market… Now they propose to eliminate these tariffs entirely, but it’s too late. They should have done it years ago.”

The former U.S. president described the trade relations between the two countries as “unequal,” noting that India exports “huge quantities of goods” to the United States while importing very little in return.

The Trump administration imposed additional 25% tariffs on imports from India at the end of August, raising the total rate to 50%, one of the highest tariff rates in the United States.

Washington linked this decision to India’s increased imports of Russian oil, with its share in the Indian energy market rising from less than 1% to 42% since 2022, in addition to the failure of five rounds of trade negotiations that yielded no results, despite New Delhi’s expectations that tariffs would be limited to 15%.

India described the U.S. move as “unjustified and unfair,” but stressed its readiness to continue dialogue and seek compromises.

Trade Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed that his country “maintains a positive approach” in its relations with Washington and hopes to reach a future agreement. New Delhi also pointed out that U.S. criticisms are “selective,” as both China and the European Union continue to import Russian oil at high levels.

It is worth noting that India is the world’s third-largest energy importer, relying on international markets to meet more than 80% of its oil needs.