WASHINGTON: US President Donald has said that he might slap new tariffs on China if it keeps buying oil from Russia — just like he did with India.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the US President said more trade penalties “could happen”, though he didn’t give any details.
His comments come shortly after he imposed 25% extra tariffs on Indian goods, accusing India of helping Russia by continuing to buy its oil. Now, China could be next in line, as Washington looks to ramp up pressure on countries trading with Moscow during the Ukraine war.
“Could happen,” Trump told reporters, after saying he expected to announce more secondary sanctions aimed at pressuring Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
He gave no further details.
“It may happen… I can’t tell you yet,” Trump said. “We did it with India. We’re doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China.”
Trump on Wednesday imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, on top of a 25% tariff announced previously, citing its continued purchases of Russian oil.
The White House order did not mention China, which is another major buyer of Russian oil.
Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned China that it could also face new tariffs if it continued buying Russian oil.