US President Donald Trump hiking up tariffs on Indian imports to 50 per cent has not gone down well with senator Gregory Meeks, who said the move puts the relationship that New Delhi and Washington have fostered over the years at risk.
Reacting to the tariff move, the Democrat said on Friday, “Trump’s latest tariff tantrum risks years of careful work to build a stronger US-India partnership.”
He also described the India-US relationship as “strategic, economic, and people-to-people”, urging that any concerns be addressed in “a mutually respectful way consistent with our democratic values.”
Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs for India last week, calling New Delhi’s tariffs “far too high”, and also criticised India buying military equipment and energy from Russia.
Days later, Trump intensified the tariff attack with additional 25 per cent tariffs, hiking to total duties to 50 per cent. The secondary sanctions were owed to India’s business with Russia.
In response, New Delhi called the move “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”, and pointed that only India was being targeted for actions several other countries were also taking.
When asked why he hadn’t slapped similar sanctions on China, another key buyer of Russian oil, Trump did not give a definite answer, only saying that more secondary sanctions were incoming. In a separate remark Trump had said it “could happen” when asked about the possibility of India-like additional tariffs for China.
Half of Trump’s announced tariffs have come into force, and the remaining 25 per cent will take effect on August 27.
With all eyes on the future of the India-US trade partnership, Trump has ruled out the possibility of any negotiations with India to that effect until the tariff issue is resolved.
“No, not until we get it resolved,” Trump said in the Oval Office in response to a question on whether he expects increased trade negotiations with India.
