In another pressure tactics, Trump pushes European Union to impose 100% tariffs on India and China for…, meets top officials in…

US President Donald Trump is said to be planning even higher tariffs i.e. up to 100 per cent on India and China, the two biggest buyers of Russian oil. India already faces a 50 per cent tariff from the US, and now Trump has also asked the European Union to put strong trade duties on India. According to the Financial Times, Trump joined a meeting with top US and EU officials in Washington and pushed for the move. One US official told the paper, “We’re ready to act right now, but only if our European partners join us.”

The idea of 100 per cent tariffs on India and China is seen as a way to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. This comes a few months after Trump gave Russia 50 days to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump made this request over a conference call to EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan and other European officials. The EU team is in Washington to talk about how to coordinate sanctions. According to one EU diplomat, the U.S. also signaled that it would be ready to impose the same tariffs if the European Union agreed to move forward with the plan.

Since India and China buy large amounts of Russian oil, they are seen as key players helping Russia’s economy survive while the war continues.

Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on India

Back in July, Trump had first announced 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on goods coming from India, but soon doubled them to 50 per cent, pointing to India’s oil trade with Russia as the reason. China, even though it buys more Russian oil than anyone else, has so far faced only a 30 per cent tariff, with no recent hikes.

According to the Financial Times, one U.S. official said Trump wants “dramatic tariffs” and plans to keep them in place until China stops purchasing Russian oil.

Trump reacts to SCO Summit in Tianjin

This latest push for higher tariffs comes just days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping showed unity at the SCO Summit in Tianjin. Following their meeting, Trump posted a picture of the three leaders smiling together on Truth Social with the caption: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”

However, Trump later softened his stance, praising his “great friend” Prime Minister Modi and stressing that India and the U.S. will continue talks to reduce trade barriers. In a fresh post, he also said he looks forward to speaking directly with PM Modi soon.

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