Trump Says He Won’t Extend Tariff Pause Past Aug. 1—Sets 25% Rate For India

 

President Donald Trump speaks to press near the Rose Garden after returning to the White House the White House, on July 29, 2025, in Washington D.C., after returning from a five-day trip to Scotland.

Key Facts

Trump said the Aug. 1 deadline “stands strong, and will not be extended,” in a Truth Social post, confirming what Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said days earlier in a Fox News interivew.

In a subsequent post, Trump said he would implement a 25% tariff against India starting Aug. 1, accusing them of having “the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country.”

Trump initially threatened India with a 26% tariff in his April “Liberation Day” announcement—a significant uptick from the 3.3% average tariff rate for Indian imports to the U.S. and higher than India’s average 17% tariff rate for U.S. imports, according to a White House fact sheet.

Trump said India would also face a penalty for buying a “vast majority of their military equipment from Russia . . . at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE.”

Crucial Quote

The Indian Ministry of Commerce & Industry said it has seen Trump’s statement and “is studying its implications,” noting “India and the U.S. have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months.”

Tangent

Trump threatened earlier this month to impose a 100% tariff on countries that buy Russian oil and gas if Russia does not reach a cease-fire agreement with Ukraine. India and China are the largest buyers of Russian oil.

What To Watch For

Trump on Tuesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin must agree to a ceasefire by Aug. 8, reducing the 50-day deadline he set in July.

Key Background

Trump initially announced a slate of steep tariff rates for most U.S. trading partners on “Liberation Day” in April that were set to take effect April 9, with a baseline tariff rate of 10% for all countries that weren’t subject to higher levies. He then implemented a 90-day pause and extended the deadline to Aug. 1 to give trading partners time to negotiate new deals, with a goal of announcing 90 trade deals in 90 days. The U.S. fell far short of that goal, but announced several frameworks for agreements with the European Union, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia with most rates between 15% and 20%.