US President Donald Trump has suggested he may impose new tariffs on China if it continues to buy oil from Russia, mirroring his recent action against India. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the President indicated that more trade penalties “could happen,” but did not provide any specific details.
His remarks follow the recent imposition of an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, with Trump accusing India of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine by continuing to purchase its oil. With Washington seeking to increase pressure on countries trading with Moscow, China could be the next target.
“Could happen,” Trump said to reporters, after mentioning that he expects to announce more secondary sanctions to pressure Russia to end the war. “It may happen… I can’t tell you yet,” Trump added. “We did it with India. We’re doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China.”
On Wednesday, Trump had signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, on top of a previously announced 25% tariff, citing the country’s continued purchases of Russian oil. While the White House order did not mention China, a major buyer of Russian oil, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had already warned China last week that it could also face new tariffs if it continued its oil trade with Russia.
