REUTERSUS President Donald Trump's doubling of tariffs on goods from India to as much as 50 percent took effect as scheduled on Wednesday, escalating tensions between the world's two largest democracies and strategic partners. A punitive 25 percent tariff imposed due to India's purchases of Russian oil adds to Trump's prior 25 percent tariff on many products from India. The new tariffs threaten thousands of small exporters and jobs, including in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat. FAILED TALKSAs the midnight activation deadline approached, US officials offered no hope for India to avert the tariffs. Their two-way goods trade totaled $129 billion in 2024, with a $45.8 billion US trade deficit, according to US Census Bureau data.
