US President Trump's 50% tariff on India kicks in

#US

#India

#BBCNews

Donald Trump's steep 50% tariffs on India have kicked in, weeks after the US president issued an executive order imposing an additional 25% penalty on India over its purchases of Russian oil and weapons.

This makes India - one of the US's strongest partners in the Indo-Pacific - among the countries hit with the highest tariffs in the world. This could deal a blow to exports and growth in the world's fifth largest economy, given that the US was, until recently, India's largest trading partner.

Earlier this month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a promise to cut taxes to mitigate the economic impact of Trump's tariffs. He has also urged domestic self-reliance.

He said that a Diwali gift in the form of a "massive tax bonanza" was on its way for the common man and the millions of small businesses that power Asia's third largest economy.