International, Feb 7: US President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of the 25 per cent tariffs imposed on imports from India, citing New Delhi’s commitments aligned with American national security, foreign policy and economic interests, marking a major reset in bilateral trade ties.
In an executive order issued on February 6, Trump said India had taken “significant steps” to address concerns that had prompted the imposition of higher duties last year. These steps include a commitment to halt both direct and indirect imports of Russian oil and a decision to source energy products from the United States instead.
The executive order also referred to a newly agreed framework aimed at expanding defence cooperation between India and the US over the next decade, signalling deeper strategic alignment between the two countries beyond trade. Trump said the decision followed detailed assessments and recommendations from senior US officials.
“After considering the information and recommendations provided to me by senior officials, I have determined that India has taken significant steps to address the national emergency described in Executive Order 14066,” Trump said, adding that the additional duties on Indian goods would therefore be removed.
The tariffs had been imposed as part of broader US measures to discourage countries from continuing energy trade with Russia. With India’s revised commitments, Washington has now moved to normalise trade conditions, a development analysts say could provide a boost to Indian exporters and improve market access in the US.
Experts believe the rollback of tariffs is likely to strengthen overall US-India economic engagement while reinforcing the strategic partnership, particularly in the areas of defence, energy security and long-term geopolitical cooperation.
