Washington: American President Donald Trump’s tariff war with India, which started ostensibly because New Delhi bought oil from Russia, has caused a lot of complaints. Not just from India, but also from people in the US and even China.
Gregory Meeks, a top member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticised Trump, saying his tariff tantrum could ruin the good relationship the US and India have built over the last 20 years. This fight has also gotten Republican leader Nikki Haley involved, and surprisingly, China is supporting India, which shows there are problems with Trump’s trade ideas.
Meeks, a leading Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, didn’t hold back. He said on X that Trump’s actions could mess up years of effort to make the US and India closer partners. He emphasised how important the two countries are to each other for strategic, economic and personal reasons. He said disagreements should be handled respectfully, in line with democratic values, and suggested using diplomacy instead of punishments. This came after Trump put a 50% tariff on Indian goods, including a 25% basic tariff starting August 7, and another 25% for India’s oil imports from Russia.
Trump said the tariffs were because India was trading with Moscow during the Ukraine conflict. But India strongly disagreed, calling the tariffs unfair and unreasonable. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs pointed out that the US also buys Russian uranium, palladium, and fertilisers, which makes Trump’s position seem hypocritical.
Nikki Haley, a former US Ambassador to the United Nations, also warned Trump not to push away a key friend. She said on X that India shouldn’t be buying Russian oil, but China, who is the main buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a break on tariffs. She thinks it’s wrong to give China a pass while hurting the relationship with India. Her comments show that many Republicans are worried about Trump’s inconsistent trade plans, especially how he’s easier on China but harder on India.
In a surprise, China also spoke up. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Trump’s tariffs were an abuse of trade rules. He repeated China’s dislike of individual tariffs, saying Trump’s actions were against fair trade. This rare support from China, who competes with India in the region, makes the trade issue even more complicated.
A US State Department official tried to calm things down, saying India is still a strategic partner and that the US talks to India honestly. But with Trump stopping trade talks and threatening more penalties, the US-India relationship, which has been carefully built through defense deals, the Quad, and economic cooperation, is facing a tough time.
The tariffs, including a 100% tax on semiconductor imports, have worried global markets. India’s Sensex dropped slightly, and US manufacturers are concerned about possible problems with their supply chains. Morgan Stanley warned that a long-term 50% tariff could reduce India’s economic growth by 0.4% to 0.8%, which shows how much is at stake for both countries.
People from different sides of US politics, and even rivals like China, are speaking out against Trump’s trade actions. Trump is finding himself more and more alone. India is promising to do whatever it takes to protect its interests. The next few weeks will show if diplomacy can save a partnership that’s important for dealing with China’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific area. Right now, Trump’s tariff move could hurt the economy and damage a key friendship.