New Delhi: The United States has imposed an additional 25% tariff on goods from India. This decision was announced by US President Donald Trump, who said the move was in response to India’s trade with Russia and its involvement in the BRICS group, which he called “anti-American.”

In reaction to this, the Indian government said it would take steps to protect its national interest. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a statement calling the US decision “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” The MEA explained that India’s imports are guided by market needs and are focused on making sure that 1.4 billion people have access to reliable and affordable energy.

India also said that many other countries are trading with Russia for their own national reasons, yet the US has chosen to target India. The MEA pointed out that even countries that criticize India continue to trade with Russia, even though their trade is not as essential as India’s.

President Trump had earlier signed an executive order putting the new tariffs into effect from August 1. He said India’s tariffs on American goods are among the highest in the world, and that the US action was also a response to this.

India had already called the US threats “unreasonable” and said it was being treated unfairly compared to other countries.