Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has warned that President Donald Trump’s tariff measures against India, intended to hurt Russia, could end up having the opposite effect by pushing New Delhi closer to Moscow and Beijing.
“Trump’s tariffs against India are intended to hurt Russia but they could push India closer to Russia and to China to oppose these tariffs,” John Bolton told CNN in an interview.
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The former NSA further cautioned, “Trump’s leniency on the Chinese, and heavy-handed tariffs on India, jeopardise decades of American efforts to bring India away from Russia and China.”
In an opinion piece for The Hill, Bolton said Trump’s approach of favouring China over India on trade is “an enormous mistake and entirely counterproductive for America”. He argued that the tariffs do not align with America’s long-term geopolitical goals, as the US is “levying tariffs on friend and foe alike”.
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“Unfortunately, based on international reactions so far, the U.S. by levying tariffs on friend and foe alike has likely suffered a considerable loss of trust and confidence, built up over decades of effort, in exchange for minimal economic gains — if any — and the risk of formidable losses,” he wrote.
Bolton claimed the White House “seems headed toward more-lenient treatment for Beijing on tariff rates and other metrics than it imposed on New Delhi,” warning that “if so, it will be a potentially enormous mistake.”
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He noted that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested China’s August 12 deadline could be extended if negotiations appeared promising.
“Trump announced on July 30 that India’s tariff rate would be 26 percent, 1 point lower than originally proposed on Apr. 2, but a major increase from the previous average rate of 2.4 percent. Moreover, Trump harshly criticized India’s acquisition of Russian military equipment, underlining a longstanding U.S.-India disagreement, and Indian purchases of Russian oil and gas in violation of America’s Ukraine-related sanctions. (India is also one of the BRICS countries, which Trump separately singled out for a 10 percent tariff.),” Bolton wrote.
He warned that resentment in India could escalate if China secured a better trade arrangement. “China runs a significantly larger trade surplus with the U.S. than does India. Washington has also long complained about Chinese trade practices, which include stealing intellectual property, unfairly subsidizing its international companies and denying access to China’s domestic market, contrary to repeated commitments,” Bolton said.
Donald Trump has announced a 50% tariff on Indian exports, penalising the country for its Russian oil imports. India and Brazil share the top spot among countries on the US tariff list.
Trump’s decision to punish India came as negotiations between the two countries on a trade deal were expected to conclude. The US president’s remarks that India’s economy as “dead” and its tariff barriers “obnoxious” further strained relations between the two countries.
India’s external affairs ministry termed the imposition of additional tariffs as “extremely unfortunate” as other countries also trade with the Russian Federation.