Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 25% penalty on India in addition to 25% tariffs for buying oil and weapons from Russia. The new rate will come into effect on 27 August. Delhi's increased imports of cheap Russian crude since the Ukraine war has caused a strain in its ties with the US and impacted negotiations on a trade deal.

Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong said that the US had long benefited from free trade but was now using tariffs as bargaining chips. He stated that the US had imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India and that China firmly opposed it.

Peter Navarro, Donald Trump’s chief trade adviser, has slammed India, dubbing it a ‘maharaj in tariff’ and accusing it of running a ‘profiteering scheme’ through discounted Russian oil. From his Harvard roots to his prison stint and return to Trump’s inner circle,