Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Friday (8 August 2025) that he hoped India and America will resolve the tariff dispute through negotiations. The statement came at a time when US President Donald Trump has announced the most import tariff on India as a penalty on India due to buying oil from Russia.

Tharoor said that India and America have long close ties and both have been working as strategic partners, but if America’s attitude changes then India will have to consider a change in its policies.

Tharoor’s direct message- India will also have to adopt options
In a conversation with the media outside Parliament, Tharoor said that a country with which we had close relations and we were working as a strategic partner, if that country has changed its behavior, then India will have to consider many things. He also said that it is possible that this step of Trump should be a conversation strategy, because Trump’s style of bargain is different. Tharoor hopes that a way can be found through negotiations in the coming 2-3 weeks.

Advice to increase tariff
On Thursday, Tharoor suggested that if the US imposes additional tariffs on India, then India should also increase the tariff on American goods by 50 percent. This statement indicates India’s mutual response policy, making pressure on America.

Trump’s step and reason
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced an additional 25% tariff on goods imported from India. He cited national security and foreign policy concerns behind this. This step reflects the resentment of America on the issue of oil purchase from Russia, which has become a sensitive subject in the current global geopolitical environment.

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