Washington, USA – The United States is preparing to urge Japan and other Group of Seven nations to impose higher tariffs on China and India in response to their continued purchases of Russian oil, a senior official said Thursday.
The move, spearheaded by President Donald Trump’s administration, is part of Washington’s broader strategy to choke off Moscow’s revenue streams and hasten an end to the war in Ukraine.
A Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed that finance ministers from the G7 countries will convene online Friday to discuss the U.S. proposal.
“Chinese and Indian purchases of Russian oil are funding President Putin’s war machine and prolonging the senseless killing of the Ukrainian people,” the spokesperson said. “Earlier this week, we made it clear to our EU allies that if they are serious about ending the war in their own backyard, they need to join us and impose meaningful tariffs that will be rescinded the day the war ends. President Trump’s Peace and Prosperity Administration is ready, and our G7 partners need to step up with us.”
While the official declined to disclose precise figures, people familiar with the matter said Washington has proposed tariff levels ranging from 50 to 100 percent.
The United States last month raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent over the country’s continued energy trade with Russia. In April, Trump sharply increased tariffs on Chinese goods before scaling them back in May following a market backlash.
Securing consensus among allies, however, is expected to be difficult. EU officials acknowledge that such steep tariffs on two of the bloc’s key trading partners could trigger serious economic consequences and possible retaliation from Beijing. The EU is also seeking to finalize a trade deal with India within weeks, complicating the bloc’s position.
For Japan, the pressure is equally sensitive. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo in late August, where the two leaders pledged to deepen economic and security cooperation — a factor likely to weigh on Japan’s decision-making.
The G7, comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States, along with the European Union, will now weigh Washington’s push for coordinated tariffs against the risk of straining crucial economic partnerships.
SOURCE : FT & AP NEWS | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |
