'Trump's India Tariffs Will Push New Delhi Closer To Moscow And Beijing,' Warns Former US NSA

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Former US National Security Adviser (NSA) John Bolton warned that US President Donald Trump's tariff policy could have the opposite effect of what it intends – by“pushing” India closer to Russia and China.

Speaking to CNN, Bolton said,“As you might expect, to these tariffs related to Russian oil purchases, in part because they see that China has not been tariffed. And Trump seems to be, in the minds of many China experts, setting up to treat China more leniently than he's treated India, thus putting in jeopardy decades of American effort to bring India away from Russia, to bring India away from China, to join us in trying to push back on Chinese efforts to gain hegemony along its long Indo-Pacific perimeter.”

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He added,“And the irony here is that while the secondary tariffs against India are intended to hurt Russia, it could push India back closer to Russia and closer to China, perhaps negotiating together against the US tariff efforts.”

Bolton also warned that Trump's seemingly softer stance on China could undermine years of US efforts to shift India away from its ties with Russia and China, CNN reported.

Despite imposing a 25% penalty on India for purchasing Russian oil, on top of another 25% tariff on Indian goods, Trump has shown restraint toward China after a short-lived trade war in April. Currently, China faces a 30% tariff, though it remains tentative pending a potential deal.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated that China's August 12 deadline might be extended if negotiations show progress.

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Earlier on Thursday, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said that the United States already has 50 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods, similar to India, but the reasoning behind them is starkly different, according to C-SPAN.

"As the boss says, let's see what happens. Keep in mind that we have over 50 per cent tariffs on China already. We have over 50 per cent tariffs on China, so we don't want to get to a point where we actually hurt ourselves. And I think I've given a really good answer to that," Navarro said, as per C-SPAN.

He explained that India was targeted with 50 per cent tariffs because of its“refusal” to stop buying Russian oil, which the US claims is helping fund the conflict in Ukraine.

Indian goods exported to the US face a 25 per cent tariff in addition to the“remedial” 2.49 per cent anti-dumping duty and a 5.77 per cent countervailing duty.

The irony here is that while the secondary tariffs against India are intended to hurt Russia, it could push India back closer to Russia and closer to China.

The sectors expected to bear the brunt include textiles or clothing, gems and jewellery, shrimp, leather and footwear, chemicals, and electrical and mechanical machinery.

(With inputs from agencies)

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