WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50 percent took effect as scheduled on Wednesday, delivering a serious blow to ties between two powerful democracies that had in recent decades become strategic partners.
A punitive 25 percent tariff, imposed due to India’s purchases of Russian oil, was added to Trump’s prior 25 percent tariff on many imports from the South Asian nation. It takes total duties as high as 50 percent for goods as varied as garments, gems and jewelry, footwear, sporting goods, furniture and chemicals — among the highest imposed by the US and roughly on par with Brazil and China.
The new tariffs threaten thousands of small exporters and jobs in India, including in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, and are expected to hurt growth in the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
There was no indication of renewed talks between Washington and New Delhi on Wednesday, after five rounds of talks failed to yield a trade deal to cut US tariff rates to around 15 percent — like the deals agreed by Japan, South Korea and the European Union. The discussions were marked by miscalculations and missed signals, officials on both sides say.
