Trump is considering secondary sanctions to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine. He told reporters on 6/8 that increasing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil is possible, but the final decision depends on the situation.
"I can't say for sure. We did it with India and we're looking at others. China could be one of them," he explained.
China currently faces a general import tariff of 30% on goods sold to the US.
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US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, White House, on 22/7. Photo: AP |
US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, White House, on 22/7. Photo: AP
Previously, Trump signed an executive order increasing import tariffs on Indian goods by an additional 25%, bringing the total to 50%, citing India's continued purchase of Russian crude. This is the highest tariff applied to any US trading partner. "I've been notified that the Indian government is directly or indirectly importing oil from Russia," Trump said on 6/8, a day after issuing a warning about the practice.
The White House executive order on 6/8 did not mention China, despite it being the largest buyer of Russian oil. Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that China could face new tariffs if it continued these purchases.
DW data shows that between 2021 and 2024, India's imports of Russian oil increased 19 times, to 1.9 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, China's imports rose by 50%, to 2.4 million barrels per day.
According to CNBC, this is the latest sign that Trump is following through on threats to punish countries buying Russian oil, amid his increasingly strong rhetoric about the Ukraine conflict in recent weeks.
Ha Thu (Reuters)
