New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) Responding to the US decision to impose a 25 per cent tariff and penalties on Indian exports, leaders from various political parties on Thursday asserted that India frames its policies independently and will not take decisions under pressure from any country.

Haryana Cabinet Minister Ranbir Gangwa said this is a ‘New India’ that does not work under the influence of others, and that the Modi government takes all decisions with the nation’s interest as its top priority.

“President Trump has said that the tariffs are linked to India buying weapons and crude oil from Russia. Wherever the national interest lies, the Modi government will make its purchases from there. This is not a government that works under anyone’s pressure,” Gangwa said.

Commenting on the development, Janata Dal (United) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar noted that while the US has announced the 25 per cent trade tariff, it has also expressed willingness to hold talks.

“We have the determination of 1.4 billion people. India has always remained non-aligned and stood firmly against imperialism. We will deal with such challenges,” he said.

Following the US announcement, India has made it clear that it will take all necessary steps to safeguard its national interests, as seen in recent trade agreements such as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the UK.

The 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods is set to take effect from August 1. Economists believe that India still has an open path for negotiations on a trade deal with the US.

Economist Trinh Nguyen said the move by Trump was “not surprising at all.”

“Is this surprising? Absolutely not. I’ve been wondering for a week what a US–India deal might look like, and frankly, I expected this. I think India can negotiate to deal with this threat. It’s not final, but how much it can be reduced remains to be seen,” Nguyen wrote on social media platform X.

–IANS

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