Trump driven by certain kind of personal antagonism: Former diplomat on additional 25% US tariff on India

New Delhi [India], August 6 : On US President Donald Trump's decision to impose an additional 25 per cent tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil, former diplomat Anil Trigunayat on Wednesday called the move "irrational" and driven by "personal antagonism."

"I think he (Trump) is continuing on this irrational path. This is driven by a certain kind of personal antagonism, more than any reasonable negotiation, discussion or policy," Trigunayat told ANI.

He said Washington had limited leverage over Moscow due to low trade volumes and was instead targeting countries trading with Russia. "They can do very little to Russia. They do not have much leverage over them because they don't have much trade. So they've been trying to put the countries that are doing trade with Russia in a much higher bracket of tariffs," he noted.

Calling the step "irrational," Trigunayat pointed out that talks between the US and India had nearly concluded last month. "The negotiations that were almost completed on 6th of July and both sides had arrived at some kind of formula and but that was not accepted by President Trump himself. So he asked them to go back to the board," he said.

The former diplomat stressed that such unilateral action undermines ongoing discussions. "Now, once you are asking your team to go back to the drawing board, you must logically do not take the unilateral path of once again imposing sanctions. And then you just go ahead and talk about the 25 per cent additional duties, which he had been threatening, and India was expecting it," he added.

Earlier, terming the United States' move to impose additional tariffs on India over its oil imports from Russia as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday declared that New Delhi will take "all actions necessary to protect its national interests."

In an official statement, the MEA said, "The United States has in recent days targeted India's oil imports from Russia. We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India."

"It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest," the statement added.

"We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable. India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests," the MEA stressed.

According to the order issued by the White House, Trump cited matters of national security and foreign policy concerns, as well as other relevant trade laws, for the increase, claiming that India's imports of Russian oil, directly or indirectly, pose an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the United States.

After the order, the total tariff on Indian goods will be 50 per cent. While the initial duty becomes effective on August 7, the additional levy will come into effect after 21 days and will be imposed on all Indian goods imported into the US, except for goods already in transit or those meeting specific exemptions.

"Accordingly, and as consistent with applicable law, 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," the order stated.

"This rate of duty shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 21 days after the date of this order, except for goods that (1) were loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit prior to entry into the United States before 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 21 days after the date of this order," the order added.

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