U.S. Imposes 100% Tariff on Indian Pharmaceuticals, Escalating Trade Tensions

Washington: In a major blow to India, the United States has announced a 100% tariff on pharmaceutical imports, further escalating trade tensions between the two countries.

According to international news agencies, the U.S. also imposed a 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, a 30% tariff on furniture, and a 25% tariff on heavy-duty trucks. However, the steepest duty has been levied on pharmaceuticals, a key Indian export sector.

President Donald Trump, in a statement on his social media platform Truth Social, declared that from October 1, all pharmaceutical imports into the U.S. will face a 100% tariff. He added that companies establishing pharmaceutical plants within the U.S. would be exempted, stressing that the decision was taken primarily to safeguard national security interests.

The new tariffs are expected to significantly impact India, which is one of the world’s largest exporters of pharmaceuticals. More than one-third of medicines consumed in the U.S. are imported from India, which exports around $10 billion worth of pharmaceutical products to America annually, according to India Today.

Trade analysts warn that the move could worsen already strained relations between Washington and New Delhi. Over the past few months, the U.S. has been tightening trade restrictions on Indian goods, with earlier tariffs of up to 50% already hitting exports hard.