The European Union is unlikely to follow US President Donald Trump’s call to introduce “100% tariffs” on India and China over their purchases of Russian oil, Reuters reported, citing EU officials.
An EU delegation, which included the bloc’s chief sanctions envoy on Russia, travelled to Washington this week to explore ways of coordinating measures against Moscow over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Officials, however, said the EU approaches tariffs differently from sanctions, imposing them only after lengthy investigations designed to provide a solid legal basis.
“So far, there has been no discussion of tariffs, either on India or on China,” one EU diplomat said. They added that the bloc is in the final stages of negotiating a trade agreement with India, which it would be reluctant to endanger.
A separate EU official cautioned that such tariffs would be excessively broad and carry significant risks. It was deemed more practical to target specific entities with sanctions, while leaving open the possibility of lifting restrictions if they ceased business with Russia.
According to Reuters, President Trump pressed the EU to consider duties of up to 100% on India and China to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who remains heavily dependent on energy revenues to finance the war in Ukraine.
The European Commission declined to comment on the matter.
The EU has already imposed extensive sanctions on Russia, and in July expanded its measures to include two Chinese banks and a large Indian refinery. So far, the bloc has only applied tariffs related to the Ukraine war on Russian and Belarusian fertilisers and agricultural goods, arguing that the move was intended to prevent harmful dependence and safeguard European producers.
Signs of easing in Trump’s trade relations with India
Donald Trump’s stance on India appeared to soften by Wednesday, as he indicated he was seeking to reset trade ties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, responding to Trump’s comments, said that Indian and US teams were working to finalise discussions on a trade agreement that would help realise the full potential of the bilateral partnership.
This marked the second cordial exchange between the two leaders on social media within four days, despite tensions in the relationship following Trump’s move to double tariffs on Indian goods to 50% over New Delhi’s purchase of Russian energy. The leaders, who last spoke by phone in June, also expressed their eagerness to hold another conversation soon.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said India and the United States were “continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations.”
He added: “I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!”
Modi, in turn, described India and the U.S. as “close friends and natural partners” in a social media message. He wrote: “I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership.
“Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people.”
The latest comments follow their previous exchange on Saturday, when Modi echoed Trump’s “positive assessment” of bilateral ties after the president told reporters he would “always be friends” with Modi and pointed to a “special relationship” between the two nations. That was the first such positive interaction since their last phone call on June 17.
