Trump signed a decree on raising tariffs for countries trading with Iran
The document does not specify the exact amount of the duty, but describes the principle of its application.
Photo: Alex Brandon / AP
US President Donald Trump signed a decree allowing for an increase in customs tariff rates on imports from countries that continue to trade with Iran, writes the BBC.
The document does not specify the exact amount of the duty, but describes the principle of its application. For example, it states that "starting from the effective date of this decree, an additional ad valorem duty rate — for example, 25% — may be imposed on goods imported into the United States and manufactured in any country that directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran".
Trump mentioned this same level — 25% — in his post on the Truth Social website on January 12.
The decree states that "the President holds Iran accountable for its pursuit of nuclear capabilities, support for terrorism, development of ballistic missiles, and regional destabilization, all of which pose a threat to the security, allies, and interests of the United States".
Iran has not yet commented on Washington's new move.
Crude oil remains the main item of Iranian export. As reported by Reuters on January 12, citing data from analytics company Kpler, about 80% of Iranian supplies go to China. Chinese customs statistics have not shown direct oil supplies from Iran since 2022, but analysts explain this by the fact that the raw material is transshipped in third countries and declared as Malaysian or Indonesian.
Trump himself did not directly comment on his decree, but in a conversation with reporters on the plane, he reiterated his position regarding Tehran: "No nuclear weapons."
On Friday, talks between Iran and the US took place in Oman, preceded by several weeks of mutual threats. The head of the Iranian delegation, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, called the meeting "a good start" and noted a "positive atmosphere". Trump later that day said the talks were "very good". The US was represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and the President's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Trump also signed a decree on the abolition of additional tariffs for India. It states that India has pledged to stop buying Russian oil
US President Donald Trump signed a decree canceling an additional 25% customs tariff on imports from India, introduced because New Delhi had been buying large volumes of Russian crude oil since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
"India has pledged to stop directly or indirectly importing oil from the Russian Federation," AFP quotes the text of the American President's decree. In this regard, the additional duty will cease to be levied after midnight Eastern US time.
Trump first announced the resolution of his trade dispute with India on February 3 after a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated that the "reciprocal" tariff for Indian goods would be 18% (previously, even without the penalty for Russian oil, the base tariff for India was 25%, and with it — all 50%). The decree signed on Friday formalizes these parameters.
India confirmed the fact of the agreement with the US, but has not yet officially made any statements about stopping oil imports from Russia.
Trade Minister Piyush Goyal spoke in parliament on Thursday, but his statement only noted that the government's priority is to ensure the energy needs of Indians, and in this regard, a strategy based on "diversification of energy sources" is being implemented (quoted by Reuters). He did not mention refusing imports from any specific country.
Indian oil imports from Russia were close to zero before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but began to grow rapidly from 2022. However, according to Reuters, the peak of supplies was passed in June last year, and they have steadily declined since then.