Washington: US President Donald Trump moved Friday to lift an additional 25 percent tariff he imposed on goods from India over its purchases of Russian oil -- a step to implement a trade deal announced this week.
"India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil," according to an executive order Trump signed. New Delhi has also said that it will purchase US energy products, "and has recently committed to a framework with the United States to expand defense cooperation over the next 10 years," the order said.
The additional 25 percent US duty will be removed at 12:01 am Eastern Time on Saturday. The executive order comes days after Trump announced a trade deal to reduce tariffs on India, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine. The pact would also see Washington cutting so-called "reciprocal" levies on Indian products to 18 percent, down from a 25-percent level.