India tariffs vital to end Ukraine war: Trump admn to top court

The Trump administration has told the US Supreme Court that it imposed tariffs against India for purchasing Russian energy products “to deal with a preexisting national emergency regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine” and as a “crucial aspect” of the President’s push for peace in the country.

Trump has imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India and an additional 25 per cent levies for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties imposed on India to 50 per cent, with effect from August 27.

On Wednesday, Trump again reiterated that he put secondary sanctions on India for its purchases of Russian oil, “the largest purchaser outside of China”, and indicated that he hasn’t done “phase two yet or phase three” yet.

Meanwhile, in a 251-page appeal to the Supreme Court, submitted on Wednesday, the Trump administration said the President recently authorised IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs against India for purchasing Russian energy products, to deal with a preexisting national emergency regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine, as a crucial aspect of his push for peace in that war-torn country.”

The appeal further states that the “stakes in this case could not be higher. The President and his Cabinet officials have determined that the tariffs are promoting peace and unprecedented economic prosperity, and that the denial of tariff authority would expose our nation to trade retaliation without effective defences and thrust America back to the brink of economic catastrophe.”

It said due to IEEPA tariffs, six major trading partners and the 27-nation European Union have already entered into framework deals with the United States, accepting tariff arrangements heavily recalibrated in America’s favour and agreeing to make approximately $2 trillion of purchases and investment in the US’ economy.

Last week, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, in a 7-to-4 ruling, said the sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump on countries around the world are illegal, but also gave the administration time till October 14 to file a petition for a writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court, which the Trump administration did on Wednesday.

The appeal states that according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the tariffs “have been one of the country’s top foreign policy priorities for the last several months” and removing them “would lead to dangerous diplomatic embarrassment, expose the US to the risk of retaliation”, and “interrupt ongoing negotiations mid-stream, undermining our ability to protect the national security and economic welfare of the American people.”