Trump’s tariffs put strain on US–India ties, but relations will endure in the long run

14 Aug 2025 11:46 AM

EXPERT COMMENT

Recent friction has pushed New Delhi to reaffirm its strategic autonomy and engage with China and Russia, but the US is still India’s key long-term partner.

US-India relations are under strain. The Trump administration imposed a 25 per cent tariff on India on 7 August, followed by a further 25 per cent that is set to go into effect on 27 August.

The two sets of tariffs are ostensibly about different issues: the 7 August tariff was imposed after the countries were unable to secure a trade deal ahead of a 1 August deadline, while the more recent one is a secondary tariff related to US pressure on Russia to secure an end to the war in Ukraine.

However, together they reflect concerted pressure on New Delhi by the Trump administration that has taken some of the shine off what was a promising bilateral relationship. 

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