‘Economic blackmail’: Rahul Gandhi reacts to Trump’s additional 25% tariff on India

India called Donald Trump’s move “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” saying it will take all necessary steps to protect national interests.

Published on: Aug 6, 2025, 22:27:51 IST

By HT News Desk

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday reacted to US President Donald Trump's announcement of an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, calling it “economic blackmail” aimed at pushing India into an unfair trade deal.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi calls Trump’s 25% tariff hike “economic blackmail" (PTI File)

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the move could harm Indian exporters and affect bilateral trade.

“Trump’s 50% tariff is economic blackmail – an attempt to bully India into an unfair trade deal,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

“PM Modi better not let his weakness override the interests of the Indian people,” he added.

Donald Trump has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods in response to India’s continued energy trade with Russia, further straining ties with a key Asian partner.

According to the White House, Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to implement the new tariff, which will be added to the 25 per cent duty he had announced on Indian imports last week. The increased tariff is set to take effect within 21 days.

The tariff announcement by Trump came just hours after talks between Washington and Moscow over the war in Ukraine failed to make progress.

“They’re fueling the war machine. And if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy,” Trump said Tuesday in an interview with CNBC.

India has defended the country’s purchase of Russian oil, saying India is being unfairly targeted by the United States and that such imports are essential for supporting the domestic economy.

External affairs ministry termed Donald Trump’s announcement “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” adding that the government “will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests.”

Earlier, Congress Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor had said the move could make Indian goods unaffordable in the United States market and impact exports.

With agencies inputs

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