‘You’re going to see a lot more’: Trump signals ‘secondary sanctions’ on India after slapping 50% tariffs over Russian ties

Amid growing concerns over the targeting of India in recent U.S. sanctions related to Russian oil imports, former President Donald Trump signaled the possibility of more secondary sanctions on India during a press interaction on Wednesday.

When asked why India was being singled out despite other nations like China also continuing oil trade with Russia, Trump responded, “It’s only been 8 hours. So let’s see what happens. You’re going to see a lot more… You’re going to see so much secondary sanctions.”

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When questioned about China — another major trading partner of Russia — and whether he planned to increase tariffs on the country, President Trump replied, “Could happen. Depends on how we do. Could happen,” leaving the possibility open.

#WATCH | On being asked, ‘Indian officials have said that there are other countries that are buying Russian oil, like China, for instance. Why are you singling India out for these additional sanctions’, US President Donald Trump says, “It’s only been 8 hours. So let’s see what… pic.x.com/YRNbR06ne8

— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2025

A day earlier, fellow Republican and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley had urged the U.S. not to go easy on China while backing India as a key strategic partner.

“India shouldn’t be purchasing oil from Russia. But China, which is both an adversary and the largest buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, has been given a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t let China off the hook while damaging ties with a strong ally like India,” Haley posted on X.

In a major blow to India’s trade interests, President Trump on Wednesday announced an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, effective August 27. This comes on top of a similar 25% tariff declared last week, further escalating trade tensions between the two countries.

During last week’s announcement, Trump had also warned of possible penalties against India over its continued purchases of Russian energy and defence equipment.

India has strongly condemned the move, calling it “unjustified and unreasonable,” and has accused both the United States and the European Union of selectively targeting New Delhi for maintaining trade relations with Russia.

In an executive order, President Trump stated, “I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing oil from the Russian Federation.” As a result, he announced that Indian goods entering U.S. customs will now face an additional 25% ad valorem tariff, in line with existing legal provisions.

The newly announced tariffs will come into force in 21 days, while the earlier 25% tariffs unveiled last week are scheduled to take effect this Thursday.

With this move, Trump’s tariff rate on Indian imports ranks among the steepest imposed on any U.S. trading partner. The decision reflects his intent to follow through on threats to penalize countries continuing energy trade with Russia. In recent weeks, Trump has ramped up his criticism of nations engaging with Moscow, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.