Donald Trump wants EU to impose up to 100% tariffs on India, China – but it is unlikely to agree; here’s why

Trump steered the EU ought to implement tariffs of up to 100% on India and China to exert stress on Russian President Vladimir Putin. (AI picture)

US President Donald Trump has reportedly urged the European Union to impose 100% tariffs on nations like India and China for his or her Russian oil purchases, but the EU might not go forward with the transfer.According to a Reuters report quoting EU sources, the European Union has indicated it would doubtless not implement extreme tariffs on India or China, the first purchasers of Russian oil, regardless of suggestions from Trump.A delegation from the EU, with the bloc’s Russia sanctions head amongst them, travelled to Washington for discussions on aligning sanctions methods towards Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Also Read | India-US commerce deal: Should India be enthralled by Donald Trump’s outreach to PM Modi?According to officers, Trump steered the EU ought to implement tariffs of up to 100% on India and China to exert stress on Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose nation relies upon on vitality gross sales to finance its army operations in Ukraine.The EU has levied complete sanctions towards Russia and has included two banks from China and a outstanding Indian refinery in its newest sanctions bundle launched in July.

Why EU might not hike tariffs on India, China

According to the Reuters report, the European Union handles tariffs distinctly from sanctions. Tariffs are carried out solely after conducting thorough investigations, which usually prolong over a number of months, to set up legally legitimate grounds.To date, the EU’s tariff impositions associated to the Ukraine battle have been restricted to fertilisers and agricultural merchandise from Russia and Belarus. These measures have been justified on grounds of stopping strategic dependence that might be exploited, while defending EU-based fertiliser producers from potential hurt.An EU diplomat informed Reuters confirmed that discussions concerning potential tariffs have not been initiated with both India or China.“So far, there is no dialogue on potential tariffs neither on India…nor with China,” an EU diplomat was quoted as saying.Also Read | The 50% misfire: How Trump made Russian oil cheaper for India – And Putin a winnerThe European Union is currently working towards completing a trade agreement with India, and they are cautious about actions that might compromise this negotiation.By Wednesday, Trump’s stance towards India showed signs of softening, as he expressed interest in rebuilding trade relationships with New Delhi.A second EU source quoted in the report highlighted the risks associated with broad tariffs, suggesting that targeting specific entities would be more effective, with the option to remove sanctions if they stop Russian business operations.Until now, the European Union’s sanctions have primarily targeted lesser-known entities in third countries, specifically shell companies that facilitate the transfer of military equipment or dual-use goods to Russia’s military sector.The EU’s 19th sanctions package, potentially to be proposed on Friday, aims to include banks from two central Asian nations and Chinese refineries.Also Read | Pushing again towards Trump stress: India’s state-owned refiners look to totally revive Russia crude oil buys; lack of cargoes a problem