Zahharova criticized the USA's imposition of tariffs as an attempt to force trading partners to accept its terms.

On April 17, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zahharova stated: "The USA's tariff increase is essentially a tool used by the White House to force trading partners to accept American terms." Zahharova pointed out that the USA government seems to hope that by moving towards trade protectionism, it can improve conditions for American companies to enter foreign markets, attract investment and shift production back to the USA. On April 2, Trump announced tariff increases on commodities from 185 countries and regions. He explained that these measures are not aimed at Russia, as there is "practically no trade between the two sides."