With the trade talks between the United States and India still going on, the senior member of the Donald Trump administration has expressed the possibility of Washington considering lowering the high tariffs it is putting on imports of Indian goods. According to the comments of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the current obligations, which are 50% may be reduced by half.
Bessent, in a Politico interview published on Friday, stated that the Indian buying of Russian oil, especially by its refineries, has fallen drastically a move he termed as a major consequence of the tariff policy. He added that the US previously had imposed an extra tariff of 25 percent of Indian products specifically because of the continued trade of energy with Moscow by New Delhi.
We impose 25% of tariffs on India to purchase Russian oil. And their refineries of Russian oil have broken down, purchased by the Indian. That is a victory, said Bessent hinting that the pressure tactics which Washington had scheduled had accomplished their purpose.
Although it will affirm that the tariffs are not removed yet, the Secretary of the Treasury also indicated that the relief might come in the future. “The tariffs are still on. I suppose there is a way to get them off, he thought, implying that there might be a reverse in the present tendencies.
The increased tariffs can be traced back to August 2025, when the then president, Donald Trump, in an extended campaign to increase tariffs on various countries, increased tariffs on Indian imports by 50 percent to 25 percent. The administration at that time explained the move as a reaction to the Indian energy relationship with Russia in the world geopolitical relationship conflicts.
Recent remarks lead to a shift in attitude by the US since the trade negotiations are going on and there is a chance that bilateral trade relations between the two nations may result in better trade relations.
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