'It's not about Ukraine at all': Democrats say Trump's tariffs sabotaging US-India relationship; move 'hurting Americans'

NEW DELHI: Democrats on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday slammed President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, saying the move is “hurting Americans & sabotaging the US-India relationship in the process.”

The committee, criticising Trump’s focus on India’s purchase of Russian oil, further questioned the motive behind the move. “It’s almost like it’s not about Ukraine at all,” it said in a post. The criticism came on the day the tariffs officially took effect, following a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) notice that implemented Executive Order 14329 signed by Trump on August 6.

The executive order, titled “Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of the Russian Federation,” directed a new duty rate on Indian imports. The CBP said the Secretary of Homeland Security had determined it necessary to revise the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, applying the higher duties to all Indian products entering or withdrawn for consumption in the US.

Meanwhile, New Delhi called the tariffs “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.” Its export body urged government intervention to prevent job losses as businesses warned of severe economic impact.

Donald Trump has defended the levies as part of efforts to cut Moscow’s revenue streams from oil sales that fund the war in Ukraine.

Seeking to reassure, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that Trump maintains good ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I think at the end of the day, we will come together,” he said.