- Former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram criticised 25% US tariffs on Indian exports
- P Chidambaram called US tariffs a major blow and violation of WTO rules
- Donald Trump announced tariffs and penalties citing India's trade and Russian oil purchases
Former Union Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the 25 per cent tariff on all Indian exports to the United States and penalty for buying Russian oil is a "big blow" to India's trade with the US.
Chidambaram called the tariffs a "big blow" for India's trade, and also argued that they are "a clear violation" of the World Trade Organisation's rules.
In a post on X, Chidambaram said, "The 25 per cent tariff on all Indian exports to the United States PLUS penalty for buying Russian oil is a big blow to India's trade with the US 'Dosti' is no substitute for diplomacy and painstaking negotiations The tariff imposed by the US is a clear violation of the WTO rules."
The 25 per cent tariff on all Indian exports to the United States PLUS penalty for buying Russian oil is a big blow to India's trade with the US
He also questioned PM Modi's statement on India's friendship with the US during his visit to Washington on February 14. "What happened to MIGA + MAGA = MEGA?" he asked.
PM Modi, during his visit to the US, drew a parallel between India's "Viksit Bharat" vision and the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) slogan in the United States, coining the term "Make India Great Again" (MIGA). PM Modi noted that India and the US have formed a "MEGA" partnership to drive prosperity for both nations.
US President Donald Trump in a social media post on his Truth Social Account, announced 25 per cent tariffs on India starting August 1. Trump also said India will face additional penalties for purchasing oil from Russia.
"Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country. Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE - ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST 1st. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!", Trump posted.
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