NEW DELHI/COPENHAGEN: US President Donald Trump has warned that Washington could further raise tariffs on Indian goods if New Delhi fails to reduce its purchases of Russian oil. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of his displeasure over the issue.
“Modi […] knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” Trump said on Sunday.
“They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” he added when asked about India’s continued imports of Russian crude.
India’s commerce ministry did not immediately respond to media queries.
Last year, the US doubled import tariffs on Indian products to 50% in response to India’s large-scale buying of Russian oil. However, despite these measures, Indian exports to the US surged in November. Buoyed by the positive trade figures, Indian officials have shown little willingness to concede to US demands, particularly on sensitive areas such as agricultural imports. At the same time, official data indicates a decline in India’s Russian oil purchases.
According to sources cited by Reuters, New Delhi has asked oil refiners to submit weekly reports on crude imports from Russia and the US. The sources said Russian oil imports are expected to fall below one million barrels per day as India attempts to secure a trade agreement with Washington.
Trump and Modi have held at least three phone conversations since the tariffs were imposed, though no concrete outcome has been achieved so far. Separately, India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal met US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer in Delhi last month to discuss bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Greenland annexation remarks
In addition to trade issues, Trump once again asserted that the United States should take control of Greenland, dismissing objections from Denmark’s leadership. His remarks have heightened concerns following Washington’s recent military intervention in Venezuela.
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” Trump said while travelling aboard Air Force One.
“We’ll worry about Greenland in about two months… let´s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded strongly over the weekend, urging Washington to stop issuing what she described as threats toward a long-standing ally.
“I have to say this very clearly to the United States: it is absolutely absurd to say that the US should take control of Greenland,” Frederiksen said, adding that Denmark and Greenland are NATO members protected under the alliance’s security guarantees.
