When Tariffs Turn Toxic

Trump’s tariff manoeuvre to push India to its knees is beginning to boomerang. A brutal and gimmicky trade war is starving US consumers of their own lifelines

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Barely six weeks after the United States went gung-ho with its assault against India—raising tariffs on exports to 50 per cent by adding a 25-per cent ‘punishment levy’ to protest India’s Russian oil buying—the blowback has come with unnerving speed. And it is hitting where it hurts the most: US households.

Pharmacies are seeing shortages of life-sustaining generics: low-cost drugs that keep cancer patients in treatment, children infection-free and diabetics stable. ‘The pain is not confined to drugs alone. Apparel racks, jewellery counters, footwear aisles and auto assembly lines are all feeling the squeeze as Indian products disappear, only to reappear at gut-wrenching price points. From prescriptions to purses and shoes to spark plugs, tariffs meant to cripple India are bleeding Americans.

The irony is sharp. For decades, US public health has leaned on India’s pharma muscle. One-third of generics consumed come from India, supplying a bulk of America’s $7-billion imports. The Food & Drug Administration's data lists 300 drugs in acute shortage, 70 per cent of them generics. ‘Tariffs designed to make Indian imports costlier are not just hitting balance sheets—they are killing patients.

Doctors are warning of treatment delays and rationing. Oncologists are reshuffling chemotherapy regimens because of missing frontline drugs. Paediatric clinics are all but out of antibiotics. Pharmacies in Ohio, Arizona, New Jersey and everywhere else admit that what remains in stock is being sold at markups of 40 per cent. Insurance covers part of the costs, but not for the uninsured or under-insured. For them, the choice is stark—skip doses, or go without. When healthcare becomes collateral damage in a geopolitical squabble, the casualties are measured in lives, not trade balances.

Backbone of Affordability