(CTN News) – The United States will apply an additional 25 percent tariffs on India, the White House announced in a statement on Wednesday.

This will increase the entire amount of tariffs imposed on India, a major trading partner of the United States, by 50%. The executive order issued by President Donald Trump read, “I have discovered that the Government of India is currently importing oil from Russian Federation, either directly or indirectly.”

“Articles of India that are imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of twenty-five percent” in compliance with the relevant legislation, according to the presidential executive order.

In accordance with the ruling, the previously reported 25 percent tariffs are set to go into effect on Thursday.

While the new tariffs are set to go into effect in 31 days.

President Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on India has resulted in the United States currently having one of the highest tariff rates among its trading partners.

This is the latest sign that President Trump is keeping his promise to put penalties on countries that purchase crude from Russia, which he has been using more forcefully in recent weeks in response to President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

It is “extremely unfortunate” that the United States has decided to impose extra tariffs on India for activities that are also being taken in the national interest of numerous other countries, India said in a statement in reaction to the increased levies.

In reaction to the increased tariffs, India made this announcement. Other nations are also initiating projects that serve their own national interests. When asked about the difficulties the nation is currently facing, a representative for India’s Ministry of External Affairs said,

“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 in India.”

Following that, it stated, “These activities are excessive, unjust, and unfair.”

Additionally, Trump’s direction calls for administration officials to decide “whether and to what extent I should take action in relation to that country” and to “assess whether any other country is directly or indirectly importing oil from the Russian Federation.”

President Trump put this directive into effect based on the information he supplied. President Trump said last week that a 25% tariff would be levied on goods coming from India, along with a “penalty” for India’s purchase of Russian energy and military hardware.

This was on top of the fact that the nation had already purchased these goods from Russia. However, at that time, we were not fully aware of the potential repercussions of this penalty.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, President Trump said he plans to raise tariffs on India “substantially in the next 24 hours.” Russia is the source of India’s oil imports, which fuel the war machine. That’s why. The current state of affairs is a consequence of India’s oil imports from Russia.

President Trump told CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” “And if they are going to do that, then I will not be too happy.” Following the start of the conflict in Ukraine, India has said that the US and the EU are “targeting” it for importing crude from Russia. India made this claim.

In a statement issued Monday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said, “It is shocking that the very nations that criticize India are themselves engaging in trade with Russia.”

“Such trade is not even a vital national compulsion [for them], in contrast to our situation,” the statement said after its release.

SOURCE: CNBC