India is weighing tariff countermeasures on select United States goods in response to Washington’s steep 50% duties on Indian steel, aluminium and related products, people familiar with the matter said. If implemented, this would mark India’s first retaliatory move since US President Donald Trump announced the tariffs in June — half as a penalty for New Delhi’s trade with Russia.
The levies, which India has challenged at the World Trade Organization (WTO), have evolved into a parallel trade dispute separate from Washington’s broader Russia-related sanctions. The first 25% duty took effect on August 7, while the remaining 25% is set to kick in on August 27.
Trump on Thursday dismissed the possibility of renewed trade negotiations until the tariff issue is resolved. “No, not until we get it resolved,” he told reporters when asked about talks with India following the tariff announcement.
India’s former vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu vowed the country would “not yield to any threats,” saying New Delhi would protect its energy security and strategic interests.
Former US national security adviser John Bolton also criticised the move, calling it a potential “enormous mistake.” In a CNN interview, he warned the penalties could push India closer to Russia and China, enabling the three to negotiate together against Washington.
New Delhi has described the tariffs linked to Russian oil purchases as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” accusing the US of using trade pressure as a geopolitical lever to force Moscow to end the Ukraine war.
