Reply To Trump Tariffs, India Postpones Buying Weapons To Planes From The US

JAKARTA - India has postponed plans to procure new weapons and aircraft from the US, according to three Indian officials familiar with the matter.

The postponement was reviewed by Reuters on Friday, August 8, as a sign of India's first concrete dissatisfaction after the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump against his exports dragged relations to their lowest level in decades.

India has planned to send Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to Washington in the coming weeks to announce several purchases, but the trip has been canceled, two sources said.

On August 6, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff for Indian goods in punishment for Delhi's purchase of Russian oil, which he said meant the country was funding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This raises total import duties over India's exports to 50% "one of the highest among all US trading partners."

President Trump has a history of rapidly changing his tariff policy, and India has stated that it remains actively involved in discussions with Washington.

One source said defense purchases could resume once India had clarity on rates and directions of bilateral relations, but "only not as quickly as expected."

Written instructions have not been given to stop purchases, another official said, indicating that Delhi has a choice to immediately reverse course, although there is no progress at least for now.

After this news was published, the Indian government issued a statement linked to a Ministry of Defense source calling the news report on discontinuing negotiations "fake and engineered."

The statement also stated that procurement was proceeding according to "the applicable procedure."

New Delhi, which has been in close partnership with America in recent years, has declared them unfair targets.

Washington and its European allies are considered to continue trading with Moscow when it benefits them.

Reuters reported for the first time discussions on the purchase of staker combat vehicles by India created by General Dynamics Land Systems and Javelin anti-tank missiles developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been temporarily suspended due to tariffs.

Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in February plans to continue procuring and joint production of these items.

Singh also plans to announce the purchase of six Boeing P8I reconnaissance aircraft and its support system for the Indian Navy during his now canceled visit, the two sources said.

Talks about the aircraft procurement in a $3.6 billion deal proposed are in advanced stages, officials said.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and General Dynamics have asked the governments of India and the US. Raytheon did not respond to requests for comment.