Trump asks the EU to slap 100% tariffs on India and China that raise eyebrows

In reports that US President Donald Trump has asked the European Union to smear tariffs up to 100% in China and India for his Russian oil procurement, raised his eyebrows from both sides of the Atlantic, and Europe, which is unlikely to agree to the White House.

Trump made an offer – first reported Financial times and confirmed by CNBC by two sources familiar with this question – When he was summoned to a meeting with high -ranking US officials and the EU in Washington on Tuesday. The US was also ready to “display” any tariffs imposed by Europe in two countries, the FT report was added. The White House has not yet responded to the CNBC request for a comment.

Asking to comment on Trump’s applications, the European Commission’s press -secretary told CNBC on Wednesday that he could not disclose the details of the meeting with the confidentiality, noting: “The EU is engaged with all the relevant global partners, including with India and China, in the context of implementation of sanctions.”

The commission pointed to its 19th package of preparation for Moscow, saying that they “added new sanctions tools that allow us to focus on third -country” and that the United States was “decisively important” in Brussels’ efforts to impose pressure on the Russian military economy.

Asking the EU to impose tariffs on key Russian customers in India and China, it was considered another way to punish Moscow and put pressure on Russia to stop the war in Ukraine.

However, European officials are cautious about the alienation of China and India, and Trump’s request raised the eyebrows because it is Washington are negotiating a trade transaction From New Delhi.

The United States has already imposed a 50% tariff for India, which includes 25% of their duties for its Russian oil purchases. India says tariffs are “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”, calling the US and the EU trade with Russia.

Jan Bremmer, founder of the Eurosia Group group, told CNBC on Wednesday that the last White House demand was “hard to overwhelm Trump’s efforts to get a trading deal with India and China, which is prioritized to obtain a ceasefire in Ukraine (not to mention what things are like transatlant. Bremmer said she had been involved in CNBC.

“This is more like an attempt to move responsibility for a higher response to Europe, creating a political cover for US inaction at the sanctions front, avoiding a direct blow to the US-Kita.”

According to analysts, the EU is unlikely to agree. Not only will the block with caution be careful to accept the strategy of Trump’s controversial tariffs and burn its own bridges with India and China – despite economic rivalry with Asian superpowers – but the EU has its difficult trade relations with Russia.

“Everyone knows that if Europeans have not been able to wean themselves in Russian for more than 3.5 years in the war, they are sure that since hell is not going to cut off from the supplier of the highest goods,” said Bremmer Eurosia Group.

Other analysts have noted that Europe, unlike Trump, causes dislike for the introduction of tariffs within the trading book, claiming that the block should not be involved in its trade wars.

“No one in Europe believes that tariffs are an effective trading policy tool … Europe will prefer diplomacy to resolve issues rather than an open trade war,” the London Shift Capital Capital Capital Capital said in its market strategy and founder of the London Shift Capital Capital Morning newsletter for porridge Wednesday.

“Europe’s reaction must be” no. “Trump has driven the cherry nest – let it handle the consequences.

The EU has complex trade relations with Russia. This is likely to prevent the block from punishing other countries for doing business with Moscow if the EU also does it – albeit at a much lower level than before Ukraine’s war in 2022 began.

EU bilateral trade with its neighbor amounted to 67.5 billion euros ($ 78.1 billion) in 2024, reports Data of the European CommissionEU imports cost 35.9 billion euros and prevailed fuel and production. EU exports to Russia amounted to EUR 31.5 billion in 2024.

The EU is fighting for weaning itself from Russian gas and the LPG (liquefied natural gas) completely. Russia’s share in EU gas imports decreased from more than 40% in 2021 to approximately 11.6% in 2024, while in Moscow less than 19% of the total EU gas gas and Imports of SPG in 2024, in 2024. Commission Data notes.

The US has called on its European allies to move to the US.

Trump said the EU has promised as part of its trading transaction with the US – which had 15% of tariffs imposed on the Block to the States – – To acquire the US, oil and nuclear energy over the next three years.

US Interior Minister Doug Burgum stated CNBC on Wednesday that Trump administration is seeking to rise to the US energy sector in Europe.

“(Export) SPG will become one of the simplest things, (you can) put it on the ship, send it here. Subtach Russian gas, transfer the market to zero in Europe and make the US market share. It is great for our allies, and we stop financing the Russian side of the war,” he said CNBC in Gastech 2025.