'Singling out India hurting...': Democrats slam Trump's India tariffs
What's the story
Democrats on the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee have criticized President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on Indian imports over the latter's continued purchase of Russian oil. The panel accused the Trump administration of targeting India over its Russian oil purchases while letting China off the hook. They said Trump's 50% tariffs are "hurting Americans" and damaging US-India relations that have been built over two decades through bipartisan efforts.
Policy criticism
'Trump's tariffs are hurting Americans'
The panel's statement on X read, "Instead of imposing sanctions on China or others purchasing larger amounts of Russian oil, Trump's singling out India with tariffs is hurting Americans and sabotaging the US-India relationship in the process." "It's almost like it's not about Ukraine at all," they added. They also quoted a New York Times report questioning why Trump chose to target India when China is the largest importer of Russian energy.
NYT
China spared similar punishment
Quoting the New York Times, they posted, "It would be one thing if the Trump administration had opted to follow through on the threat of secondary sanctions for any country that purchases Russian oil." "But the decision to focus solely on India has resulted in perhaps the most confusing policy outcome of all: China, the largest importer of Russian energy, is still purchasing oil at discount prices and has so far been spared similar punishment."
Trade impact
Trump doubles existing tariffs on Indian imports
The Democrats's criticism comes as Trump has doubled existing tariffs on Indian imports linked to Russian oil trade. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government estimates these tariffs will affect $48.2 billion worth of exports. Officials have warned that the new duties could make shipments to the US commercially unviable, leading to job losses and slower economic growth. Despite this pressure, Modi has vowed not to yield, saying India will not compromise on the interests of farmers, small industries and domestic producers.