- Asaduddin Owaisi called US President Trump the "buffoon-in-chief" of White House after the tariff announcement
- India is an independent sovereign country, he said
- The US' measures "are a clear and deliberate attack" Indian economy, he said
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday hit out at US President Donald Trump and called him the "buffoon-in-chief in the White House", a day after the latter announced a 25 per cent tariff on all goods coming from India and an unspecified penalty on the country for buying Russian crude oil and military equipment.
In a post on X, the Lok Sabha MP said the US' measures are a "deliberate attack" on the Indian economy and will have an adverse impact on foreign direct investments (FDI), exports and jobs in the country.
His remarks came as senior ministers in the Union Cabinet chaired a meeting on Mr Trump's announcement to impose 25% additional import duty plus penalty on goods imported from India. The duty will come into effect from Friday. The unspecified penalty was imposed on India for purchasing crude oil and military equipment from Russia.
"Trump has announced that Indian exports will now come with a 25% tariff. It's sad to see my country's government being bullied by a buffoon-in-chief in the White House," Mr Owaisi said.
"This tariff will come with a vague 'penalty' for trading with Russia. India is independent sovereign country. Not a vassal state that gives salami in the Emperor's court," he added.
Trump has announced that Indian exports will now come with a 25% tariff.
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 31, 2025
It's sad to see my country's government being bullied by a buffoon-in-chief in the White House. This tariff will come with a vague “penalty” for trading with Russia. India is independent sovereign country.…
He said the US' measures "are a clear and deliberate attack on our sovereignty and economic standing". "I've raised the issue of rising hostile trade practices against India in Parliament for years. These tariffs will hit Indian MSMEs, manufacturers, IT firms, service providers, and even our farmers. They'll deter FDI, damage exports, and hurt jobs. While Japan will pay 15%, Vietnam will pay 20% and Indonesia has a tariff of 19%. This will hit India's competitive advantage for US exports," he said.
The US is India's largest trading partner, accounting for 18 per cent of India's total merchandise exports in 2024. India's USD 80 billion merchandise exports to the US are distributed in sectors which also form India's overall major exports.
President Trump's announcement on Wednesday came as a surprise, as the two countries are negotiating a trade agreement. It is also being seen as a pressure tactic to get New Delhi to agree to demands made by the US, which has, in recent days, got favourable trade deals with major partners like Japan, the UK and the European Union.
In a social media post, Mr Trump termed India's trade policies as "most strenuous and obnoxious".
After the announcement, he said the US is currently negotiating with India.
India, on the other hand, said it is studying the implications of the US move and will take all steps to "secure our national interest".
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