Strategic Partnership at Risk, Says Top Democrat
President Donald Trump has come under sharp criticism from within the United States over his decision to impose sweeping new tariffs on Indian imports, with senior Democratic Senator Gregory Meeks warning that the move “risks over two decades of careful work” in building the US-India partnership.
The latest round of tariff hikes — which came into effect Thursday — raises import duties on Indian goods to 50%, in what Trump claims is retaliation for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. But critics argue the measures are politically driven and diplomatically damaging. “We have deep strategic, economic, and people-to-people ties. Concerns should be addressed in a mutually respectful way,” Meeks said via the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"Unfair and Unjustified": India Hits Back
India has strongly condemned the move as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable”, with its Ministry of External Affairs vowing to take “all necessary actions” to defend national interests. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations said nearly 55% of India’s shipments to the US could be impacted, calling it a “severe setback”.
Trump’s broader tariff policy — which also includes a 100% duty on semiconductor imports and hikes on goods from the EU, Japan, and South Korea — is being sold as an effort to revive American manufacturing. However, economists warn it could drive inflation and dampen economic growth.
In a particularly pointed move, the US granted China another tariff extension while halting talks with India — a contrast not lost on New Delhi. Trump also threatened secondary sanctions on countries “directly or indirectly” importing Russian oil, adding further pressure on India.
Some relief may come in the form of a grace period for goods already in transit before the August 8 deadline, but experts like Georgetown’s Professor Marc Busch warn that US consumers may ultimately bear the cost.
“It’s unlikely firms will absorb costs indefinitely,” Busch noted.