New Delhi, August 23: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday strongly criticised the Trump administration’s decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, half of which are linked to New Delhi’s trade with Moscow. Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, he said the US had no right to single out India while continuing to buy oil and refined products itself.
“It’s funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing others of doing business,” Jaishankar remarked. “If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys—so if you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”
The minister underlined that India would not compromise on its red lines in ongoing trade negotiations with Washington. “Our red lines are clear — the interests of our farmers and small producers. That’s not something we can compromise on,” he said, adding that the government remains determined to safeguard these sectors despite tariff pressure.
Jaishankar also noted that President Donald Trump’s conduct of foreign policy was unlike that of his predecessors. “We’ve not had a US president who has conducted foreign policy as publicly as the current one. That itself is a departure, and not limited to India,” he observed.
He dismissed the framing of the tariffs as an “oil dispute,” pointing out the inconsistency in targeting India. “If the argument is oil, there are bigger buyers. If the argument is trade with Russia, there are bigger traders,” Jaishankar said. He highlighted that Russia-Europe trade far exceeds Russia-India trade, and that the same reasoning had not been applied to major importers like China or European nations.
Currently, Indian goods face additional US tariffs of up to 50 per cent, among the highest imposed by Washington. A 25 per cent tariff has already taken effect, while the remaining 25 per cent will be enforced from August 27.