‘This isn’t diplomacy, it’s bullying’: Asaduddin Owaisi on Trump’s 50% tariffs
In a post on X, the Hyderabad MP also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked why he did not respond to the tariffs.
- Aug 7, 2025,
- Updated Aug 7, 2025 4:32 PM IST
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods. He said the move will hurt Indian exporters, MSMEs, and manufacturers, disrupt supply chains, deter foreign direct investment, and impact jobs significantly.
Owaisi described the action as bullying and said it showed a lack of understanding of global trade by the US president. “Trump just slapped another 25% tariff on India, taking it to 50%, because we bought oil from Russia. This isn’t diplomacy, it’s bullying,” he said. “These tariffs will hurt Indian exporters, MSMEs, and manufacturers. It’ll disrupt supply chains, deter FDI, and hit jobs hard.”
In a post on X, the Hyderabad MP also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked why he did not respond to the tariffs.
US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, citing New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. The new tariff, effective 21 days from the order's signing, seeks to penalise what the US administration views as India's support for Russian economic activities affecting Ukraine's sovereignty.
The order outlined that "articles of India imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 25 per cent," alongside existing taxes and duties.
Further complicating the issue, the order defines Russian Federation Oil as "crude oil or petroleum products extracted, refined, or exported from the Russian Federation, regardless of the nationality of the entity involved in the production or sale of such crude oil or petroleum products." This includes purchases through intermediaries where the origin is traceable to Russia.
Criticism has emerged, particularly from China, who publicly backed India. The Chinese Embassy's Yu Jing stated that India's "foreign policy choices cannot be manipulated by other countries," reinforcing India's stance on maintaining sovereignty. India has described the US's actions as "unjustified and unreasonable," highlighting that the US imports various critical commodities from Russia.
The White House has noted that the tariff could be adjusted in response to foreign retaliation, hinting at potential diplomatic negotiations ahead. Meanwhile, Trump's criticism of India continues, with remarks claiming "India has not been a good trading partner" and that "they do a lot of business with us, but we don't do business with them."
India's Ministry of External Affairs has accused the US and its allies of double standards, pointing out their own trade dealings with Russia.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods. He said the move will hurt Indian exporters, MSMEs, and manufacturers, disrupt supply chains, deter foreign direct investment, and impact jobs significantly.
Owaisi described the action as bullying and said it showed a lack of understanding of global trade by the US president. “Trump just slapped another 25% tariff on India, taking it to 50%, because we bought oil from Russia. This isn’t diplomacy, it’s bullying,” he said. “These tariffs will hurt Indian exporters, MSMEs, and manufacturers. It’ll disrupt supply chains, deter FDI, and hit jobs hard.”
In a post on X, the Hyderabad MP also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked why he did not respond to the tariffs.
US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, citing New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. The new tariff, effective 21 days from the order's signing, seeks to penalise what the US administration views as India's support for Russian economic activities affecting Ukraine's sovereignty.
The order outlined that "articles of India imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 25 per cent," alongside existing taxes and duties.
Further complicating the issue, the order defines Russian Federation Oil as "crude oil or petroleum products extracted, refined, or exported from the Russian Federation, regardless of the nationality of the entity involved in the production or sale of such crude oil or petroleum products." This includes purchases through intermediaries where the origin is traceable to Russia.
Criticism has emerged, particularly from China, who publicly backed India. The Chinese Embassy's Yu Jing stated that India's "foreign policy choices cannot be manipulated by other countries," reinforcing India's stance on maintaining sovereignty. India has described the US's actions as "unjustified and unreasonable," highlighting that the US imports various critical commodities from Russia.
The White House has noted that the tariff could be adjusted in response to foreign retaliation, hinting at potential diplomatic negotiations ahead. Meanwhile, Trump's criticism of India continues, with remarks claiming "India has not been a good trading partner" and that "they do a lot of business with us, but we don't do business with them."
India's Ministry of External Affairs has accused the US and its allies of double standards, pointing out their own trade dealings with Russia.