Were Trump's 50% US Tariffs Driven By His Personal Pique Over India-Pak Mediation Refusal? Jefferies Report Says...

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Trump tariffs: The 50 per cent US tariff on India imposed by President Donald Trump on most Indian exports is largely driven by his "personal pique" at not being allowed to mediate in the India-Pakistan conflict, a new report has claimed.

According to a recent report by American multinational investment bank and financial services company Jefferies, Trump had reportedly hoped to intervene and mediate the talks between India and Pakistan in Ma , when the two countries engaged in a four-day-long military conflict following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, mostly Indians.

The Jefferies report stated that US tariffs on India were a result of New Delhi's refusal to not allow Donald Trump to mediate the talks between the two south Asian nuclear powers.

"Tariffs are primarily the consequence of the American President's "personal pique" that he was not allowed to play a role in seeking to end the long running acrimony between India and Pakistan," it said.

Donald Trump has time and again claimed that he was the reason why India and Pakistan decided to end their conflict, as he had threatened to impose tariffs on both the countries if they did not stop firing at each other.

While Pakistan had earlier thanked Donald Trump following the ceasefire announced on May 10, India has consistently maintained that it does not accept third-party intervention in its conflicts with Islamabad.

Also Read | Trump renews claim, hints at India-Pakistan ceasefire: 'Ended 6 wars...'

This was a“red line” India, who despite heavy economic losses, did not budge and let Trump claim that he settled the conflict. New Delhi's refusal potentially denied him a Nobel Peace Prize - an asset that Trump has sought for months.

“It's well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said in July.

50% US tariffs: The other factors

The report mentioned two more reasons why Trump may have imposed the 50 per cent tariffs on India.

The first one is agriculture.

Also Read | India's Q1 FY26 GDP grows 7.8%, beats estimates despite Trump's 50% tariff hike

The report highlighted that no Indian government, including the current one, is willing to open up the agriculture sector to imports because of the severe consequences it would have on millions of people.

The draconian Trump tariffs that India is now facin is also tied to a broader geopolitical issue, the one that the American President has said is the reason for the levies.

Also Read | Trump tariffs on India explained: A serious threat to the economy, stock market?

Donald Trump has not been able to end the Ukraine conflict as he had promised, and India's continued purchase of Russian oil have become an added issue in Washington.

However, the report stressed that the underlying cause remains India's refusal to allow Trump's personal intervention in the Pakistan issue.

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