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U.S. President Donald Trump stated that India had offered to eliminate its tariffs in ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries, but warned it is “getting late.” In a Truth Social post on Monday, September 1, Trump said, “India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the U.S.” He added, “They now offer to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago.”
Trump’s latest remarks came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a SCO summit in China for an economic discussion on deepening ties. A video clip from the summit showed a jovial exchange between Modi, Putin, and Xi.
The strained U.S.-India relations have worsened due to Trump’s imposition of additional tariffs related to India’s purchases of Russian oil during the Ukraine war. Trump has also frustrated Modi with his claim that he was responsible for bringing about the India-Pakistan ceasefire.
Indian ties with Russia and China have grown closer, highlighting the risk posed by Trump’s aggressive stance on trade and foreign policy. This could drive U.S. rivals to improve their cooperation and reduce American influence in non-Western regions over time.
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India faced a 25 percent tariff from Trump to correct what he deemed an imbalance in the trading relationship. Trump has imposed tariffs on all U.S. trading partners, offering preferential terms to those who reduce barriers to American firms.
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us.” He elaborated, “They sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest ‘client,’ but we sell them very little. Until now, it has been a totally one-sided relationship, and it has been for many decades.”
India’s high tariffs on U.S. businesses made it impossible to sell into the Indian market, Trump claimed.
A video from August 26, 2025, shows U.S. President Donald Trump meeting with his administration members during a cabinet meeting at the White House.
Indian and Russian leaders have moved closer. Modi said they discussed deepening cooperation in all areas, including trade, fertilizers, space, security, and culture. Putin noted that Russia and India maintain special relations for decades, referring to their close ties during the Cold War. In recent years, India had shifted closer to Washington.
China’s President Xi has also called for closer ties with India, saying “the dragon and the elephant can dance together.” At a meeting on Sunday, Modi and Xi pledged to resolve border differences and bolster cooperation. Xi hoped the meeting would further elevate bilateral relations.
Russia needs China and India as key buyers of its crude oil. In early August, Trump announced additional 25 percent tariffs for India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, increasing overall duties on certain exports to 50 percent. The new tariffs started on August 27.
There is no sign that either India or China intends to stop buying Russia’s oil, crucial for its sanctions-hit war economy.
