Trump Embraces Economic Coercion With Tariffs as a Big Stick
A gantry crane and the Zhen Hua 15 heavy load cargo carrier at a port in Vizhinjam, Kerala, India.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg
Back in January, a global survey found that Indians were the most upbeat of any nation about what a second Donald Trump presidency would mean for their country. They’re likely having second thoughts now.
Trump dinged India with a 25% tariff rate — higher than many other Asian nations, though he’s leaving the door open for last-minute haggling. He cited New Delhi’s own trade barriers, but rebuked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over lots of other things too – including its BRICS membership, and close ties with Russia. “They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” he posted on social media.