Asaduddin Owaisi calls Trump ‘Buffoon-in-Chief’ over 25% U.S. tariff on Indian exports

AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on Indian imports. The announcement came amid new US trade policies penalising countries that maintain trade relations with Russia. Owaisi called the tariff move a “deliberate attack” on India’s economy and questioned the rationale behind the penalty.

In a post on X, Owaisi wrote, “Trump has announced that Indian exports will now come with a 25% tariff. It’s sad to see my country’s government being bullied by a buffoon-in-chief in the White House.” He also added, “This tariff will come with a vague ‘penalty’ for trading with Russia. India is an independent sovereign country. Not a vassal state that gives salami in the Emperor’s court.”

Owaisi expressed concern that the tariff would severely impact India’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), manufacturers, IT service providers, and farmers. He stated that the move would hurt India’s export potential, deter foreign direct investment, and lead to job losses across several sectors. He also said that these new measures could affect India's economic standing in global trade.

He highlighted the disparity in tariff rates applied to other Asian countries, pointing out that while India faces a 25% rate, Japan is being charged 15%, Vietnam 20%, and Indonesia 19%. He questioned why India was singled out for a higher tariff and raised concerns about unequal treatment. Owaisi also asked why there had been no official response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the development.

Referring to past political rhetoric, Owaisi wrote, “Is this the ‘56-inch chest’ we were promised? Or will we only see it if Trump raises tariffs to 56%?” The tariff decision has been followed by statements from other political leaders criticising the US policy shift. President Trump also posted on Truth Social that he “does not care what India does with Russia” and said India and Russia “can take their dead economies and go down together.”