Trump claims India offered zero tariffs but he refused because of Russian oil purchases

In an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, US President Donald Trump has claimed that India offered the United States a deal to eliminate all tariffs on American goods. However, Trump said he rejected the offer, arguing it was insufficient as long as New Delhi continues to purchase oil from Russia.As per Trump, the proposed zero-tariff agreement was part of trade discussions with India. He emphasised that while the offer was significant, he told Indian officials it was “not good enough” due to India’s ongoing energy trade with Russia.

Trump’s claim comes a day after he accused India of profiting from Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing large quantities of Russian oil and reselling it on the global market. Trump added that he would “substantially” increase tariffs on Indian goods entering the United States in response.
“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rejected the criticism from the US and EU over its oil imports from Russia, highlighting the hypocrisy of Western trade with Russia and emphasising its energy security needs amid global market disruptions caused by the Ukraine conflict.