Trump’s tariffs on India probably done for egoistic reasons: JNU’s Chinese studies expert says
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
New Delhi () – President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariffs on Indian goods has sparked a debate among analysts. JNU professor Srikanth Kondapalli says the real problem isn’t India, but China’s challenge to U.S. dominance.
“Khan, if Trump cares about trade surpluses, he should focus on China,” Kondapalli told . “India is a side‑show, driven by ego and politics about the Nobel or cease‑fire talks.”
He added that the U.S.–China relationship has a deep structural fault line: China is seen as a strategic competitor. Even a trade deal won’t change the U.S. bipartisan view that China is a rival, said the JNU scholar.
Kondapalli pointed out the scale of the deficit: the U.S. runs a $6.9 trillion trade gap with China versus about $270 billion with India. “If Trump truly worried about the deficit, it should target China, not India,” he explained.
The new tariffs came into force on Oct. 1. The United States imposed a 100 per cent duty on branded and patented pharmaceuticals unless the firms build U.S. manufacturing plants. Earlier this year, the U.S. slapped a cumulative 50 per cent tariff on India, including a 25 per cent surcharge to punish Russian oil imports amid the Ukraine war.
These pharmaceutical measures are part of President Trump’s broader trade push, which also includes steep tariffs on household items like kitchen cabinets and furniture. Prices in these categories have already climbed.
India remains a global pharma powerhouse. It supplies more than half of worldwide vaccine demand and 40 percent of U.S. generic drugs, and one‑quarter of all medicines in the U.K. In FY25, Indian drug exports topped a record $30 billion, up 31 percent year‑over‑year. A government release shows exports grew 6.94 percent from $2.35 billion in August 2024 to $2.51 billion in August 2025.
The U.S. tariff strategy signals a new chapter in the trade war, with China as the main focus and India caught in the cross‑fire.
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