Trump’s India Tariffs Led to ‘Worst Outcome’ for US, Says Former Aide

The imposition of tariffs that occurred on India at the behest of President Donald Trump has seen former US National Security Advisor John Bolton say that it has been the worst outcome on Washington which has served to distance New Delhi even more and strip decades of US efforts to have it drawn out of Russia and China.

He told CBS his action has hurt relations with India and left China unscathed and undermined an important US objective. Bolton cited high tariffs imposed by the New Delhi on the purchase of Russian oil and suggested that Trump was preferring China to India which could prove to be an exceptional mistake.

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Trump even briefly waged a trade war against China in April but has since backed off but not before slapping tariffs of more than 50 per cent on India which included a 25 per cent second wave tariff that he stated was in response to being funded to wage the war in Ukraine.

Talking to CNN, Bolton expressed that it is ironical that the secondary tariff which was supposed to hurt Russia could drive India nearer to Russia and China and possibly even could force them to negotiate against US.

Bolton wrote in an Op-Ed piece The Hill, that it is possible that the softer approach towards Beijing by Trump would be a concession of the US strategic interests in the name of his eagerness to make a deal with President Xi Jinping.

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Trump has also imposed extra tariff but this has yet to convince India to cease purchasing Russian oil. Rather, India has justified protection of its imports as unfair and unreasonable.

Less than a week before Trump meets with the Russian President Vladimir Putin; Moscow had taken the side of New Delhi when it accused Washington of deceitfully employing an illicit trade coercive.

Bolton opined that the meeting will avail Putin the opportunity to push his agenda and possibly use India tariffs as a larger play.

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