Government Denies Report Claiming US Arms Purchase To Be Paused

The Defence Ministry has denied a news report claiming that India plans to pause its arms purchases from the United States after US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods. 

A Reuters news report claimed that India has put on hold its plans to procure new US weapons and aircraft, according to three Indian officials familiar with the matter, in India's first concrete sign of discontent after tariffs imposed on its exports by President Trump dragged ties to their lowest level in decades. 

"The news reports on India pausing the talks related to defence purchases with the US are false and fabricated. It is clarified that the various cases of procurement are being progressed as per the extant procedures," Defence Ministry sources said. 

The news report also claimed that India had been planning to send Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Washington in the coming weeks for an announcement on some of the purchases, but that trip was cancelled 

Trump on August 6 imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods as punishment for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, which he said meant the country was funding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That raised the total duty on Indian exports to 50 per cent - among the highest of any US trading partner.

The president has a history of rapidly reversing himself on tariffs and India has said it remains actively engaged in discussions with Washington.