Trump Threatens Secondary Tariffs on Countries Like India Trading with Russia Amid Ongoing War

Despite facing the highest number of global sanctions, Russia continues to fuel its war in Ukraine with substantial energy exports. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark ultimatum: if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine by Friday, August 8, the United States will impose new secondary tariffs on any country still engaged in trade with Moscow.

These potential secondary tariffs could have a major impact on American consumers—particularly in the mobile phone market. U.S. tech giant Apple has been relocating a significant portion of its iPhone production to India, especially those destined for sale in the United States.

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air reports that since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India has become the second-largest purchaser of Russian oil.

Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, President Trump said, “They are helping to fuel the war machine, and if that continues, I will not be happy.”

If the secondary tariff sanctions are enforced, U.S. companies importing goods from India would be required to pay a 100 percent tariff. The policy is designed to discourage American businesses from buying such goods and instead seek cheaper alternatives elsewhere. As a result, India could suffer significant revenue losses.

This move is aimed at pressuring India to stop purchasing Russian oil. If other countries face similar consequences, Russia's market for oil exports would shrink, potentially cutting off the funds necessary to sustain its war in Ukraine.

Last month, Trump remarked, “I’ve used trade for many things, but for stopping wars, it’s tremendous.” This would not be the first time the Trump administration used secondary tariffs. A similar strategy was previously employed to penalize buyers of Venezuelan oil. However, using this method against Russia could have sweeping consequences for the global economy.