NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday slammed the United States for imposing additional 25% tariff on India and called for hitting the US back with "reciprocal" tariffs of 50 per cent.
"We should also impose 50 per cent tariff on US goods," the Congress leader said. "I think the average Indian tariffs on US goods are 17 per cent, so if they are imposing 50 per cent in retalliation, then why should we stop at 17? We should also raise it to 50 [per cent]," the Lok Sabha MP said while talking to reporters, adding, ".We need to ask them, do they not value our relationship? If India doesn't matter to them, they should also not matter to us."
Also read: PM Modi's firm stand after Donald Trump's 50% tariffs
Speaking about the potential impact of 50 per cent US tariffs, Tharoor remarked, "It will have an impact because we have trade of about $90 billion. If things get costly by 50 per cent, then people will also think before purchasing them. If our competitors, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, will sell products at a lower cost... it will have an impact."
Tharoor also questioned the rationale for imposing 50 per cent tariffs on India, saying that there's some "hidden message" from Washington. "The additional 25 per cent tariff has been added on the pretext that we are buying oil, petroleum products from Russia, however, China is purchasing almost double... and they have been given 90 days, while India has been given just three weeks. There seems to some other hidden message from Washington. The government should respond after carefully understanding the situation."
The Congress MP's remarks came after US President Donald Trump, in addition to the 25 per cent tariff announced last week, imposed another 25 per cent levies on India on Wednesday for purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties slapped on India to 50 per cent, among the highest imposed by the US on any country in the world.
Also read: 2x Tariffs on India a 'warning' to China which may also face the same, says Donald Trump
The additional 25 per cent duty will come into effect after 21 days or August 27.
Reacting to Trump's additional tariffs, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement that it is "extremely unfortunate" that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest.
"We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India," the MEA statement said.
"We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable. India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests," it said.
Read | Donald Trump’s 25% additional tariff on India; what are ‘secondary tariffs’ and how do they differ from ‘secondary sanctions’? Explained
"We should also impose 50 per cent tariff on US goods," the Congress leader said. "I think the average Indian tariffs on US goods are 17 per cent, so if they are imposing 50 per cent in retalliation, then why should we stop at 17? We should also raise it to 50 [per cent]," the Lok Sabha MP said while talking to reporters, adding, ".We need to ask them, do they not value our relationship? If India doesn't matter to them, they should also not matter to us."
Also read: PM Modi's firm stand after Donald Trump's 50% tariffs
Speaking about the potential impact of 50 per cent US tariffs, Tharoor remarked, "It will have an impact because we have trade of about $90 billion. If things get costly by 50 per cent, then people will also think before purchasing them. If our competitors, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, will sell products at a lower cost... it will have an impact."
VIDEO | Delhi: On US President Donald Trump announcing additional 25 per cent tariff on India, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) says, "It will have an impact because we have trade of about $90 billion. If things will get costly by 50 per cent then people will also… pic.twitter.com/8OyMqAt3nr
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 7, 2025
Tharoor also questioned the rationale for imposing 50 per cent tariffs on India, saying that there's some "hidden message" from Washington. "The additional 25 per cent tariff has been added on the pretext that we are buying oil, petroleum products from Russia, however, China is purchasing almost double... and they have been given 90 days, while India has been given just three weeks. There seems to some other hidden message from Washington. The government should respond after carefully understanding the situation."
The Congress MP's remarks came after US President Donald Trump, in addition to the 25 per cent tariff announced last week, imposed another 25 per cent levies on India on Wednesday for purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties slapped on India to 50 per cent, among the highest imposed by the US on any country in the world.
Also read: 2x Tariffs on India a 'warning' to China which may also face the same, says Donald Trump
The additional 25 per cent duty will come into effect after 21 days or August 27.
Reacting to Trump's additional tariffs, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement that it is "extremely unfortunate" that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest.
"We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India," the MEA statement said.
"We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable. India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests," it said.
Read | Donald Trump’s 25% additional tariff on India; what are ‘secondary tariffs’ and how do they differ from ‘secondary sanctions’? Explained
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