Tariff Tango: When Trump Turns India Into a Piñata
President Donald Trump having a firm handshake with his alleged "friend" Prime Minster Narendra Modi The morning of August 1, 2025 , has just dawned in Washington DC with the subtlety of a bullhorn: Donald Trump has announced a flat 25 % tariff on all Indian imports , effective roughly a week later—August 7—since the executive order formally lists that date as the start. In layman’s terms, India has become the global piñata, and Team USA’s swinging first swing is a neat 25 % whap. Cue the confetti —and panic, early morning rupee dips, and fiery op‑eds in Kolkata cafés. Trump justified the move as a strategic jab at India’s energy purchases from Russia and what he called “high tariffs and obnoxious non‑monetary barriers.” He also sarcastically tagged India as “our friend,” even though friends don’t usually charge a quarter‑extra tax on your goods. On Truth Social (because of course), he added that India supports Moscow with crude oil and military hardware—thus, additional p...