The White House's abrupt move to double duties on Indian goods over its Russian oil purchases came with little warning and no clear path forward.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has launched a sharp critique of India’s continued energy trade with Russia, warning that secondary tariffs on Indian goods will take effect on August 27. His remarks follow External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on August 21,

"For more effective multilateralism, we agreed to work closely together in preparation for the French presidency of the G7 and the Indian presidency of the BRICS in 2026," Macron said. Please click here to add Swarajya as your preferred and trusted news source on Google.

Indian companies have seen the steepest earnings downgrades in Asia, with analysts slashing forecasts as steep U.S. tariffs heighten risks to growth even if proposed domestic tax cuts help cushion the impact.

Peter Navarro alleged that the money India makes from trade with the US is being used to buy discounted Russian crude, which is then refined and resold at higher prices in other markets.

Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 25% penalty on India in addition to 25% tariffs for buying oil and weapons from Russia. The new rate will come into effect on 27 August. Delhi's increased imports of cheap Russian crude since the Ukraine war has caused a strain in its ties with the US and impacted negotiations on a trade deal.

Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong said that the US had long benefited from free trade but was now using tariffs as bargaining chips. He stated that the US had imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India and that China firmly opposed it.