Overview

• U.S. import taxes on a wide range of Indian goods rose from 25% to 50% on August 27 after a presidential decree on August 6 added an extra 25 percentage points.
• President Donald Trump and adviser Peter Navarro publicly framed the move as punishment for India "feeding the Russian war machine" through purchases of Russian hydrocarbons.
• Narendra Modi will attend the August 31–September 1 SCO summit in Tianjin with meetings planned with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, which Indian media portray as a possible strategic recalibration.
• Chinese state-aligned outlet Huanqiu Shibao warned against casting any India–China thaw as an anti-American alignment, emphasizing both sides' independent foreign policies.
• Economists say workers in textiles, jewelry and engineering are most exposed to the new duties, even as India reports 7.8% GDP growth and its trade ministry signals support measures soon.