India has reportedly paused plans to buy billions in U.S. arms after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian exports to 50%

India has paused plans to acquire U.S. military equipment worth billions of dollars, in the first concrete sign of diplomatic fallout after President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on exports this week, dragging bilateral ties to their lowest point in decades.

According to some Indian officials familiar with the matter, New Delhi has held off on deals for Stryker combat vehicles, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and Boeing P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The duties, raised on August 6 from 25% to 50%, were imposed as punishment for New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil.

The move marks a major setback in the growing defense relationship between the two countries, long touted as a counterbalance to China’s influence in Asia.

Tariffs trigger diplomatic chill

Trump announced the 25 percentage-point tariff increase on August 6, arguing that India’s purchases of discounted Russian oil were funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new duty, among the highest levied on any U.S. trading partner, came on top of an existing 25% tariff and follows a series of disputes that have tested the durability of the U.S.–India relationship.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had been scheduled to visit Washington in the coming weeks to unveil new procurement agreements, including a $3.6 billion deal for six Boeing P-8I aircraft for his country’s navy. The trip was quietly canceled, according to sources.

The Indian government, however, moved quickly to deny reports of any suspension, calling them “false and fabricated” in a statement late on Friday. The statement further stated that procurement is still progressing as per extant procedures.

A partnership under strain

Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier pledged to deepen defense ties, shifting India’s procurement away from Russia and towards Western suppliers. The Asian nation is the world’s second-largest arms importer and has increasingly turned to the U.S., France, and Israel in recent years.

The tariff escalation, however, has exposed fault lines. Indian officials have criticized Washington for targeting Delhi while continuing trade with Moscow when it suits U.S. and European interests.

The dispute comes on top of previous tensions, including Modi’s rejection of Trump’s claim to have mediated a ceasefire with Pakistan after a brief escalation that led to four days of fighting between the two nations in May.

India is balancing Moscow and Washington

Despite the current chill, officials say the defense relationship with the U.S. continues without interruption. Intelligence-sharing and joint training programmes are unaffected, and New Delhi has not ruled out scaling back purchases of Russian oil if it can secure competitive alternatives, including from American suppliers.

Moscow, for its part, has been courting India with offers of new military technology, such as the S-500 surface-to-air missile system.

While Indian officials say there is no immediate appetite for fresh Russian weapons orders, they acknowledge that the decades-long reliance on Moscow means the armed forces will require Russian support for existing systems for years to come.

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