'Leaders See US As Big Disruptor...Country Can't Be Counted On': Ex-US NSA Jake Sullivan Slams Trump's Tariffs

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Jake Sullivan, who served as National Security Advisor under former US President Joe Biden, sharply criticised President Donald Trump's decision to impose sweeping 50 per cent tariffs on India , and asserted that Trump's aggressive trade actions shattered a longstanding bipartisan consensus on US-India relations.

Speaking to The Bulwark, Sullivan said the tariffs could push India to seek closer ties with China as a strategic counterbalance, remarking,“India might feel the need to show up in Beijing because they have to hedge against the U.S.”

“When I go to these places now and I talk to leaders, they are talking about derisking from the United States. They now see the US as the big disruptor, the country that can't be counted on,” Sullivan said in The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller.

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He added,“China has moved ahead of the United States in popularity in a whole lot of countries.”

He also warned that such moves are damaging America's global reputation, stating that the“American brand globally is in the toilet.”

Sullivan further noted,“Take a look at India, as another example. Here's a country that on a bipartisan basis, we were working and trying to build a deeper and more sustainable relationship with, and the China challeng loomed large in that. Now you have got President Trump executing a massive trade offensive against them, and the Indians are saying, 'Well, I guess maybe we have to go show up in Beijing and sit with the Chinese because we got a hedge against America'.”

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The 50-percent tariffs on a wide range of Indian imports to the U.S. took effect this week, imposed as a penalty for New Delhi 's significant purchases of Russian oil, part of Washington's broader strategy to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine.

Recently, speaking at a construction industry event in New Delhi on Friday, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India will not“bow down” and instead focus on capturing new markets, AFP reported.

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Since returning to the White House this year, Trump has increasingly used tariffs as a sweeping policy instrument, significantly disrupting global trade dynamics.

In 2024, the U.S. was India's largest export market, with goods worth $87.3 billion shipped to American buyers.

The American brand globally is in the toilet.

However, analysts warn that the steep 50 per cent tariff resembles a trade embargo and could severely impact smaller businesses. Exporters in sectors like textiles, seafood, and jewellery are already reporting cancelled U.S. orders and market losses to competitors such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, fueling concerns over large-scale job losses, as reported by AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

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