Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, August 7, sent a strong message to US President Donald Trump for imposing a 25% tariff and threatening to impose an additional 25% on trading with Russia in crude. While speaking at the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference in Delhi, the PM said that he will do anything to safeguard the farmers' interest and this is the government's top priority.
"Farmers' interest is India's top priority. India will never compromise on interest of farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers," PM Modi said. He further said that he is personally ready to pay any price for "protecting farmers' interest."
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The Prime Minister's comments come a day after India strongly condemned Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs. Last week, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian crude oil and weaponry. The US President alleged that India is fueling the war in Ukraine that broke out in 2022. He also alleged that India is selling Russian crude in the international market and making a huge profit.
On Wednesday, Trump promised to impose an additional 25% tariff on India. With this, the US has imposed a total of 50% tariffs on Indian products, barring a few exceptions. "So let's see what happens. You're going to see a lot more. You're going to see so much secondary sanctions," Trump said.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the US had recently “targeted India’s oil imports from Russia," even though New Delhi had clearly articulated its position on the issue. “Our imports are governed by market dynamics and are undertaken with the overarching goal of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indian citizens," the statement reads.