US President Trump announces 25 per cent tariff on India from Aug 1
Washington, Jul 30 (PTI): US President Donald Trump has announced a 25 per cent tariff on India from Aug 1, amid signs of some stalemate in the ongoing negotiations between the two countries on a bilateral trade deal.
Trump, announcing the tariff, listed India's high tariffs, its procurement of "vast majority" of military equipment and energy from Russia as well as "obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers".
India will be paying a "tariff of 25 per cent plus a penalty" from August 1, he said, adding "we have a massive trade deficit with India".
The US president, in a social media post, however, described India as a "friend". While India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high, among the "highest" in the world, and they have the "most strenuous and obnoxious" non-monetary trade barriers, he said.
Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of energy along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine, he said.
"All things not good! India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25 per cent plus a penalty for the above starting on August 1," the US president said.
There is no immediate reaction from India on Trump's announcement.
A team from the US is scheduled to visit India next month for the next round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement.
India and the US teams concluded the fifth round of talks for the agreement last week in Washington.
India's chief negotiator and special secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal and Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch held the deliberations.
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Congress misleading public on National Herald case, matter still in court: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of running misleading propaganda over the trial court's decision in the National Herald case and said the court refused to take cognisance of the complaint but did not set aside the case.
The case is still pending trial in the Delhi High Court, and the trial court in its order on Tuesday said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can continue its investigation, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted.
"The court yesterday (Tuesday) said that since it is a private complaint and no FIR has been lodged, it will not take cognizance of it. It's a technical matter. The court also said that ED can continue its investigation further. The court did not set it aside," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here
"Its trial is still going on. Sonia Gandhi is still Accused Number-1 and Rahul Gandhi Accused Number-2," the BJP spokesperson said, alleging, "The Gandhi family thrives on deceit, deception, and propaganda."
