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Trump raises global tariffs to 15%: What it means for India
However, those tariffs are limited to 150 days unless extended through legislation.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would raise the global tariff he plans to impose to 15 per cent, up from the 10 per cent announced a day earlier.
Trump said in a social media post that he was making the decision “Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday,” by the US Supreme Court.
After the court ruled that he lacked emergency powers to impose many sweeping tariffs, Trump signed an executive order on Friday night enabling him to bypass Congress and introduce a 10 per cent tax on imports from around the world.
However, those tariffs are limited to 150 days unless extended through legislation.
Also Read | Trump doubles down on tariffs after Supreme Court setback, now raises global levy to 15%
What changes for India?
Trump’s latest move adds to the uncertainty following the Supreme Court ruling on Friday and his subsequent countermeasures.
Last year, India faced 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs from the United States. That rate was later increased to 50 per cent after Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent duty over New Delhi’s Russian oil imports, which the White House said “fueled the war in Ukraine.”
In February 2026, Trump announced a reduction in “reciprocal” tariffs on India to 18 per cent after the two countries agreed on a framework for an interim trade deal.
The Supreme Court’s decision would have implied a rollback to pre-Trump levy levels of around 3.5 per cent.
With Trump now proposing a 15 per cent global tariff, India’s effective tariff rate would stand at 18.5 per cent — a marginal change from the 18 per cent agreed earlier this month.
A Supreme Court ruling, Trump’s criticism and “counter-attacks”
On Friday, the US Supreme Court ruled that tariffs imposed by Trump under an emergency powers law were unconstitutional, including the “reciprocal” duties levied on multiple countries.
The 6-3 decision held that the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorise the President to impose tariffs.
Trump criticised the ruling, saying he was “absolutely ashamed” of the judges who ruled against him, calling them “disloyal to our Constitution” and “lapdogs.”
Hours later, he imposed a 10 per cent global tariff on US trading partners. White House officials later clarified that countries with trade agreements with the United States, including India, would temporarily see tariffs reduced to 10 per cent before new duties are applied.
Earlier, Trump praised the three dissenting judges in the verdict.
“My new hero is United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and, of course, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that they want to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
