US President Donald Trump on Tuesday hinted that Washington could soon lower tariffs on Indian imports, saying both sides were “getting close” to a fair trade agreement. His comments came as negotiations between the two countries continue amid tensions over India’s oil trade with Russia.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump explained that India had been subjected to high tariffs because of its energy dealings with Moscow. He claimed New Delhi had now “substantially” reduced its Russian oil purchases.
“The tariffs are very high on India due to Russian oil, and they have stopped doing the Russian oil very substantially,” Trump said. “We’re gonna be bringing the tariffs down… at some point, we’ll bring them down.”
From Tariff Hike to Potential Rollback
The President’s remarks suggest a possible softening of Washington’s trade stance toward India after months of friction. Back in August, Trump had doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50%, citing New Delhi’s continued energy ties with Russia. The move was widely seen as part of his broader strategy to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the invasion of Ukraine.
Since then, both nations have been engaged in active trade discussions. Trump has repeatedly asserted that India intends to end its oil trade with Moscow, even claiming earlier that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally assured him of this decision, a claim New Delhi publicly denied, saying there had been no such conversation.
“We’re Getting Close to a Fair Deal”
On Tuesday, Trump struck a more optimistic tone about the negotiations. “We’re making a deal with India, much different than we had in the past,” he said. “So right now, they don’t love me, but they’ll love us again. We’re getting a fair deal, just a fair trade deal. We had pretty unfair trade deals, but we’re getting close.”
VIDEO | Washington: Responding to a question during a press conference at White House, US President Donald Trump (@POTUS) said: "Tariffs high on India because of Russian oil; they've reduced Russian oil substantially, at some point will bring tariffs down."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 11, 2025
(Source: Third Party)… pic.twitter.com/UhjGRqPKxa
The President also pointed to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during the press conference, reiterating that the administration was working toward a deal “that’s good for everybody.”
