Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Trump’s Tariff Turmoil: Controversial Duties on India Over Russian Oil Imports and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
Amid escalating tensions, Congressman Brad Sherman has openly criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on India due to its importation of Russian oil. Sherman described the tariffs as ‘outrageous’ and called for their immediate reversal.
Sherman, a senior member of both the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees, argued that India is unjustly singled out. He highlighted that other nations, such as Hungary, import a significantly larger percentage of their oil from Russia without facing similar penalties, questioning the rationale behind the US President’s policy.
Following recent negotiations, the US and India reached a framework for an interim trade agreement, leading to a reduction of the controversial tariffs from 25% to 18%. The US agreed to this adjustment after India committed to reducing its dependence on Russian energy and increasing its purchase of American products.
(With inputs from agencies.)