Trump to impose 25 percent import duty on countries trading with Iran

India also included among the countries

Washington DC (USA) – US President Donald Trump has announced that any country that trades with Iran will be subject to a 25 percent import tariff on its trade with the United States. Trump said that this decision will take effect immediately. The White House has not issued an official order regarding this tariff yet.

🇺🇸 U.S. President Donald Trump announces a 25% import duty on countries trading with Iran.

🇮🇳 India is among them.
This is economic coercion, not diplomacy.

The world must unite and push back; collective resistance is the only way to end Trump’s bullying tactics. 💥🌍
PC:… pic.twitter.com/uWW3fs2FeC

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) January 13, 2026

The US has already imposed stringent economic sanctions on Iran. Major countries trading with Iran include China, the United Arab Emirates and India. If the tariffs are implemented, these countries’ trade with the US could be affected. According to World Bank data, Iran traded with 147 countries in 2022.

648 people have died so far in violent protests in Iran

Protests have been going on in Iran for the past 17 days against the Government and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The protests started due to an economic crisis and have now become anti-Government. According to the Norwegian Human Rights Organization, 648 people have been killed so far in the protests, while thousands have been injured. The dead include 9 minors. The organization has clarified that the actual situation is unknown due to the shutdown of internet services. It has been feared that the death toll could reach 6,000. The Iranian Government has not announced any official number for deaths and injured people.

Iran is crossing the red line : Trump

US President Trump has said that the Iranian Government is crossing the red line in trying to stop the protests. The US is considering tough options. Iran has contacted the US and proposed talks. Discussions are underway to set up a meeting. However, given the situation, they may have to take action first; as the death toll continues to rise and the arrests continue.

The importance of India-Iran trade

1. According to the information provided by the US-based ‘OEC’, i.e. Organization of Economic Complexity, trade between India and Iran was worth $1.68 billion, i.e. 14 thousand to 15 thousand crore Indian rupees, in the financial year 2024-25. India’s exports were more than imports.

2. India mainly exported Basmati and other varieties of rice, tea, coffee, sugar, medicines and chemicals, pulses, heavy machinery, electrical appliances, and jewelry.

3. India imported dried fruits, organic and inorganic chemicals, as well as some minerals and glassware from Iran.

4. India trades very little with Iran compared to its trade with other countries. The US and China are India’s largest trading partners, and India trades with them 120 times more than Iran. Although Canada ranks around 20th in terms of trade with India, when compared to Iran, Canada’s trade with India is at least 8 times that of Iran.

5. Looking at the geopolitical situation and equations rather than trade, Iran is an important geopolitical partner for India. India and Iran are trying to develop Iran’s Chabahar port to restrain Pakistan. If we ignore the issue of geopolitics, even if India stops trade with Iran, it will not cause much harm, but the increased import duties of the US could be fatal for India. However, it is also true that India will not bow down to Trump’s tyranny.