Overview

• White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told Bloomberg that India’s Russian oil purchases enable Moscow’s war effort and declared the conflict “Modi’s war.”
• The 50% U.S. tariff on Indian goods is now in force, with reporting indicating electronics and pharmaceuticals are largely spared while textiles and jewellery face steep hits.
• Coverage attributes half of the duty to India’s continued buying of Russian oil and military equipment, reflecting the administration’s stated rationale.
• India’s Ministry of External Affairs termed the move extremely unfortunate and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar defended energy sourcing as market-driven, noting China and the EU buy more from Russia.
• Economist Jeffrey Sachs criticized the tariffs as self-defeating and Nikki Haley urged President Trump to repair ties by engaging Prime Minister Narendra Modi.