【By Observer News, Chen Sijia】According to China Central Television, on July 30, local time, US President Trump announced that starting August 1, he would impose a 25% tariff on Indian goods and implement other "penalties." Trump complained about India's high tariff rates and was dissatisfied with India's purchase of Russian oil and weapons.

This news immediately triggered a strong reaction from opposition parties in India, who questioned Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy, claiming that his "friendship" with Trump failed to protect India's national interests. The leader of the main opposition party, the Congress Party, Mallikarjun Kharge criticized that the US tariffs would harm India's trade and have an adverse impact on India's small and medium enterprises and farmers.

Kharge posted on the social media platform X, saying that Trump's actions would cause significant losses to many industries in India, "For months, Modi's ministers have been talking about trade negotiations with the US, some of them stayed in Washington for several days. This is the return on your friendship (Trump) with you?"

The chairman of the All India Muslim League Committee, Asaduddin Owaisi, strongly criticized Trump, calling the Indian government "humiliated by a clown" at the White House. Owaisi said, "This is a clear attack on our sovereignty and economic status. Japan will pay 15% tariff, Vietnam pays 20% tariff, Indonesia has a tariff of 19%, which will hit India's competitiveness in exports."

In February this year, Modi and Trump met at the White House, Visual China

Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative, an Indian think tank, pointed out that Trump mentioned in his order that tariffs could be reduced if countries reached trade agreements with the US, "This is not just a tariff measure, but a strategy to exert pressure."

Srivastava said that India is facing harsh treatment with no product being exempted, "The message is clear: agree with the US's geopolitical views and sign an agreement, or face full tariffs - India is being used as a negative example for other countries."

He revealed that current estimates show that India's exports to the US may fall by 30% in the fiscal year ending March 2026, from 86.5 billion dollars in the previous fiscal year to 60.6 billion dollars. He said, "The categories most affected will be petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, and electronic products... these products share the common characteristic of high import dependence and low local value addition."

Trump has announced a 25% tariff on India, and he also accused India of continuing to buy Russian oil and weapons, threatening to impose other "penalties" on India.

Since February this year, India and the US have been conducting bilateral trade negotiations, aiming to increase bilateral trade to 500 billion dollars by 2030. India hopes to reach a temporary agreement before August 1, when the US increases tariffs, but there are significant differences between the two sides on agriculture and dairy products, with India refusing to fully open these markets.

Raj Kumar Sharma, an Indian scholar, said that more than 40% of India's labor force depends on agriculture, making farmers very influential among Indian voters, "Agriculture is a very sensitive issue in India, opening up the agriculture and dairy sectors would pose a political risk for the Indian government. Trump is targeting India with higher tariffs, but India will not agree to any agreement that cannot be explained to its people."

Regarding the US tariff policy, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal stated that the Modi government is reviewing the impact of Trump's new tariffs and collecting feedback from Indian exporters and industry groups, and will take all necessary measures to safeguard national interests.

This article is an exclusive article by Observer News, and it is not allowed to be reprinted without permission.

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