Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and President Trump took swings at India as a tariff deadline nears for the nation.
“India got here to the desk early. They have been gradual rolling issues,” Bessent mentioned Thursday throughout an look on CNBC’s “Squawk Field.”
“So, I believe that the president, the entire commerce group’s been annoyed with them, and in addition, India’s been a big purchaser of sanctioned Russian oil that they then resell as refined merchandise. So, you understand, they haven’t been an important international actor.”
The president himself said in an early morning publish to Reality Social that he didn’t “care what India does with Russia.”
“They’ll take their lifeless economies down collectively, for all I care. We now have executed little or no enterprise with India, their Tariffs are too excessive, among the many highest within the World,” he added within the Thursday publish.
On Wednesday, Trump mentioned he was going to impose a 25 % tariff on India and a penalty for buying military equipment and vitality from Russia through the conflict in Ukraine.
“Bear in mind, whereas India is our good friend, we now have, over time, executed comparatively little enterprise with them as a result of their Tariffs are far too excessive, among the many highest within the World, they usually have essentially the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Commerce Limitations of any Nation,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“Additionally, they’ve all the time purchased a overwhelming majority of their navy tools from Russia, and are Russia’s largest purchaser of ENERGY, together with China, at a time when everybody desires Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST,” he added.