Amid the growing unrest in Iran, US President Donald Trump has warned Iran and its trading partners of more tariffs. As POTUS weighs military options for a possible US intervention, Trump took to Truth Social to announce that countries engaging in trade with Iran will be subject to an additional 25 percent tariff.
As per World Bank data, Iran, which is also a member of the OPEC oil producers group, exported products to 147 trading partners in 2022. Among these, the top trading partners include China, India, countries in East Asia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Germany. Follow LIVE updates on Iran protests here
With Trump’s latest threat, countries such China, Brazil, and India, which are already under the scanner of the US for its trade with Russia, are expected to see another rise in their tariff rates.
With fuel being Iran’s biggest export item by value, Tehran has some major imports include intermediate goods, vegetables, machinery and equipment. Here’s a look at the list of countries now under the scanner of the Trump-led US administration.
Iran’s trading partners under scanner | Full list
China
Being Iran’s largest trading partner, Iranian exports to China amounted to $22 billion in 2022, of which fuels accounted for more than half of the total. World Bank data further added that imports from China stood at $15 billion.
Meanwhile in 2025, analytics firm Kpler reported that Beijing bought more than 80% of Iran’s shipped oil. Iranian oil already has a limited pool of buyers due to US sanctions which seek to cut off funding to Tehran’s nuclear programme.
India
India’s total bilateral trade with Iran stood at $1.34 billion for the first 10 months of 2025, as per the Ministry of Commerce. Major Indian exports to Iran include basmati rice, fruits, vegetables, drugs and other pharmaceutical products.
India is already under US’ scanner due to its purchase of Russian oil, due to which it faces a total of 50 percent tariff from the US.
Also Read | Trump slaps tariff on Iran’s trade partners. How will it impact India?
Turkey
As per the World Bank, Iran’s exports to Turkey reached $5.8 billion in 2022. Whereas imports amounted to $6.1 billion.
South Korea
As per data from Korea International Trade Association, South Korea’s exports to Iran between January and November 2025 stood at a $129 million, while imports stood at $1.6 million.
Japan
As per a Reuters report, Japan imported fruit, vegetables and textiles from Iran and shipped some machinery and vehicle engines to Tehran, citing the latest trade data from Tokyo till November 2025.
Other countries likely to be under the scanner are –
- Russia
- North Korea
- Germany
- the United Arab Emirates
- Oman
- Malaysia
- Pakistan
- Italy
Iran protests rage on
Over 600 people have been killed in the largest demonstrations Iran has seen since the death of Mahasa Amini in 2022. Triggered by the surging inflation and decline of rial, angry protestors took to the streets across almost all 31 provinces of the country against the regime.
Iran carried out a violent crackdown of the demonstrations, resulting in the deaths of at least over 500 protestors, an internet shutdown which lasted over 84 hours. Iran’s crackdown on protestors also prompted the US to declare that it is weighing options for a military intervention in the country.