Washington: The initial 25 per cent tariff imposed by the United States on Indian imports came into effect on Thursday. US President Donald Trump, who announced the levy earlier this week, claimed that billions of dollars would now start flowing into the US from countries that had been “taking advantage” of America.
“It’s midnight,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Billions of dollars in taxes are now coming to the United States!” The post referred to the moment the tariffs came into force at midnight on August 7, US time.
In another post, Trump said, “Reciprocal taxes have come into effect at midnight tonight! Billions of dollars, most of which are from countries that have taken advantage of the United States for many years, will start coming to America laughing.”
He further added, “Only a radical left-wing court can stop the greatness of America that wants to see our country fail!”
The new tariff adds to an existing 25 per cent levy, bringing the total US tariff on Indian goods to 50 per cent. The move has drawn strong criticism from Indian officials, who called it “unjustified and unjust.”
