Washington: The United States imposed a 50 percent tariff on India because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, according to Democratic Senator Mark Warner. He alleged Trump made economic decisions based on personal interests, rather than policy decision.
Last year, the president first imposed a 25% tariff and then added another 25% because of India buying Russian oil. This made New Delhi face some of the highest tariffs in the world, along with Brazil.
Trump had claimed that India’s Russian oil purchases were indirectly funding the war in Ukraine. Speaking at a community event in Virginia with the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Warner said that the main reason for the 50 percent tariff was Trump’s displeasure over Modi not supporting his Nobel candidacy. He emphasised that economic policy should not be based on personal grievances.
Warner represents Virginia in the US Senate and serves as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He had previously questioned Trump’s claims regarding India-Pakistan ceasefire efforts.
He said that based on his discussions with Indian authorities, US intelligence, and committee members, the matter between India and Pakistan was largely resolved by the countries themselves. After Operation Sindoor in May 2025, the US president had claimed that he had prevented a war between the two nations.
A long-time advocate for strong India-US relations, Warner has repeatedly warned that important security systems like the Quad and the “2+2” dialogues are losing momentum.
In a January 2026 interview with IANS, he had highlighted concerns that Washington’s lack of consistent engagement could affect how partner nations perceive US reliability.
He expressed unease over comments suggesting China might be seen as a more trustworthy partner than the United States. He called such views deeply troubling for global strategic stability.
