From 26% to 50% to 10%: A timeline of Donald Trump’s tariffs on India – The Times of India

US President Donald Trump when he annoucned reciprocatory tariffs (File photo)

US President Donald Trump has imposed a fresh 10% tariff on imports from all countries, including India, hours after the US Supreme Court struck down a key legal basis for several of his sweeping global tariffs. The move shifts the legal foundation of his trade policy rather than ending it, ensuring tariffs remain central to his economic strategy.In a 6–3 ruling, the Supreme Court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorise the president to impose broad tariffs, invalidating duties imposed under emergency powers. The decision affects a major portion of Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs,” which had significantly raised import duties worldwide.

However, Trump quickly pivoted by invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, signing an executive order imposing a 10% global tariff “effective immediately,” while keeping sector-specific tariffs and other trade levies in place.The ruling marks a legal reset in a tariff campaign that began in April 2025 and reshaped global trade flows, including sharply raising and later reducing duties on Indian exports.

Timeline: How US tariffs on India changed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump agreed to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, signalling intent to deepen economic ties even as tariff tensions loomed.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal visited Washington DC and held talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and other officials to address trade concerns and prevent tariff escalation.

The US announced a 26% total tariff on Indian imports, comprising a 10% baseline tariff and an additional 16% reciprocal tariff, marking the first major escalation affecting Indian exports.

The US suspended the 16% reciprocal tariff for 90 days, reducing India’s effective tariff burden to 10%, while negotiations continued.

An Indian delegation travelled to Washington to bridge differences before the July deadline, as both sides sought to avoid higher duties.

The US declared a 25% tariff on Indian goods, effective August 7, significantly increasing pressure on Indian exporters.

The US imposed an additional 25% tariff linked to India’s Russian oil purchases, taking the total tariff burden on Indian exports to 50%, the highest level during the dispute, effective August 27, 2025.

Indian officials visited Washington again, with six formal rounds of trade negotiations completed by this stage to resolve tariff disputes.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India was working to finalise the trade agreement quickly, raising expectations of tariff relief.

India and the US agreed on an interim trade deal that cut US tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, down from 25%, restoring some competitiveness to Indian exports after months of elevated duties. Additionally, India cut the tariffs on US goods to zero.

After US supreme court deemed the country-specific tariffs “illegal”, Trump announced 10 per cent global tariffs, applicable on all countries. So, for now, India will also pay a 10 per cent tariff “until another authority is invoked,” as per White House official, quoted by ANI. Although, earlier Trump had said nothing “changed” for India and will continue as per trade deal terms. Thus, how much tariffs India pays will depend on formal signing of the India-US trade deal.

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Read more: How much tariff will India pay after US SC ruling, Trump’s 10% global duty? What White House said

US tariffs: From ‘Liberation Day’ to legal reset

The overall US tariff campaign began in February 2025, when Trump imposed duties of up to 25% on major trading partners such as Canada, Mexico and China, signalling a shift towards aggressive protectionist trade policies.The escalation intensified on April 2, 2025, dubbed “Liberation Day”, when the US introduced a sweeping 10% baseline tariff on imports from most countries, along with higher reciprocal tariffs targeting dozens of nations. In the weeks that followed, some tariffs were temporarily paused to allow negotiations, even as legal challenges began in US courts over the president’s use of emergency powers to impose the duties.By mid-2025, the administration expanded tariffs further, targeting sectors such as steel, aluminium and automobiles, while extending duties across dozens of trading partners. These measures disrupted global trade flows and forced several countries to enter negotiations with Washington, leading to selective adjustments and supply chain shifts later in the year.The legal foundation of the tariff regime faced a major setback in February 2026, when the US Supreme Court ruled that emergency powers could not be used to impose sweeping tariffs, invalidating a key pillar of the policy. However, within hours of the verdict, Trump imposed a fresh 10% global tariff under a different legal authority, ensuring tariffs remained central to his trade strategy despite the court ruling.Ultimately, the Supreme Court’s ruling blocks Trump from using emergency powers under IEEPA to impose sweeping tariffs, invalidating a key legal pillar of his tariff strategy. However, sector-specific tariffs and other trade measures remain in force.Trump said the India-US trade deal remains unchanged and confirmed that Indian exports will continue to face tariffs under the revised framework.The administration has indicated it will use alternative legal provisions to sustain tariffs.