US will replace India as the tariff champion by 2x: Niti Aayog's Arvind Virmani takes a dig at Trump's Maharaja of tariff remark

A day after former US President Donald Trump slapped a fresh 25% tariff on Indian imports, taking the total to 50%, NITI Aayog Member Arvind Virmani took to social media to point out the irony. He said that if the move goes ahead, the US will soon overtake India as the world’s top tariff imposer.

In a post on X, Virmani wrote: “If this goes through, USA will replace India as the tariff champion of the World by 2x. Congratulations will then be due to the US leadership.”

His remarks came as a response to Trump’s sharp criticism of India’s oil imports from Russia, which the former US President claimed posed a national security risk.

Trump imposes 25% more, taking total tariff on India to 50%

On August 6, Trump signed an executive order levying an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports. This raises the overall tariff burden to 50%, making India one of the most heavily taxed trading partners under the Trump administration’s trade policy.


The order cites India’s continued direct and indirect imports of Russian oil as justification, invoking national emergency powers under U.S. trade and security laws.

According to the order, Indian goods arriving in the U.S. after August 27 will attract the new duty, unless they were already in transit before that date.

US cites India’s Russia oil link, invokes emergency powers

Trump defended the move by pointing to India’s purchases of Russian oil amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The executive order uses the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the National Emergencies Act, and sections of the Trade Act of 1974 to justify the action.

“I find that the Government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” Trump said in the order.

He had earlier warned of “substantial tariffs” on India during multiple media appearances and social media posts over the past week.

Here is a list of tariffs imposed under the Trump administration by country, highlighting the respective tariff rates:

1. India: 50%
2. Brazil: 50%
3. Myanmar (Burma): 40%
4. Laos: 40%
5. Sri Lanka: 20%
6. Switzerland: 39%
7. South Africa: 30%
8. Algeria: 30%
9. Libya: 30%
10. Serbia: 35%
11. Iraq: 35%
12. Cambodia: 19%
13. Indonesia: 19%
14. Malaysia: 19%
15. Philippines: 19%
16. Thailand: 19%
17. Vietnam: 20%
18. Taiwan: 20%
19. Bangladesh: 20%
20. South Korea: 15%
21. Japan: 15%
22. Israel: 15%
23. Jordan: 15%
24. Kazakhstan: 25%
25. Pakistan: 19%
26. Nigeria: 15%
27. United Kingdom: 10%
    
28. European Union: Various, typically 0% to 20% depending on goods.

India hits back: ‘We’re being unfairly targeted’

India responded strongly to the tariff move. In a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the government said it was being singled out unfairly, even as other countries continued trading with Russia without facing similar penalties.

“It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion [for them],” the statement read.

The government emphasized that its energy imports are driven by national interest and affordability concerns, especially in the current global energy environment.

What the order means for Indian exporters

The executive order lays out multiple layers of implementation. Indian exporters must now factor in:

• An additional 25% ad valorem duty on top of existing tariffs.
• No exemptions unless shipments are already in transit by August 27.
• Scope for further action if the U.S. decides India retaliates or continues energy trade with Russia.
• Broader monitoring of countries importing Russian oil, including via intermediaries.

Agencies such as the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury have been empowered to enforce, expand or revise the order as needed.

What lies ahead

With the new tariffs in place, India-U.S. trade tensions appear set to escalate. India has not indicated any immediate retaliatory measures but has underlined that it views the move as discriminatory.

As the political heat rises, trade observers are watching closely to see if Trump’s tariff strategy widens into a broader protectionist push ahead of the U.S. elections — or if pressure from American industry forces a rethink.

For now, Arvind Virmani’s tongue-in-cheek observation captures the emerging irony: the U.S. could soon wear the very “tariff champion” badge it once pinned on India.

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