India has pushed back strongly against US President Donald Trump’s move to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, calling the decision “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” In a sharp response on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the government will take all necessary steps to protect national interests.

“We have already made our position clear on this matter,” the MEA said in a statement, emphasising that India’s oil imports are driven by market realities and are aimed at securing affordable and reliable energy for its 1.4 billion citizens. “It is extremely unfortunate that the US has chosen to penalise India for decisions taken in our national interest—especially when many other countries are making similar choices,” the statement added.

The reaction came shortly after Trump signed an executive order imposing additional tariffs on India, citing its continued purchase of Russian oil. The move is part of Washington’s broader pressure campaign against Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, as Trump pushes for a ceasefire deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

India had earlier dismissed similar threats from Trump, defending its energy trade with Russia as essential for domestic stability and accusing the West of hypocrisy. “Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion for them,” the MEA had said previously, pointing to ongoing Western transactions with Moscow.

The new tariffs, which took effect on August 1, are also tied to what Trump described as India’s “excessively high” tariffs on American products. He further criticised New Delhi’s engagement with Russia and its role in the BRICS bloc, calling it “anti-American.”

India has not yet detailed how it plans to respond, but officials have indicated that retaliatory measures and further diplomatic engagement are on the table.