Amidst Trump Tariffs and Tilt to Pakistan, India Refuses to Blink

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Washington, DC has taken a visibly harder line on India, introducing trade penalties, renewing overtures to Pakistan, and signaling its unhappiness with New Delhi's independent strategic posture.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

While there has been no formal declaration of a shift in alliance, the moves collectively reflect a recalibrated U.S. approach that prioritizes short-term leverage over long-term partnership, officials following the development said.

Last week Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports, citing India's high trade barriers—which he described as "obnoxious"—limited market access, and continued energy purchases from Russia.

Trump accused India of unfair practices, clubbing it with Russia and China. The tariff, along with an additional undefined "penalty," signaled a transactional turn in ties, diverging from the broader Indo-Pacific cooperation frameworks of previous administrations even as a team of U.S. officials are slated to meet Indian officials on 25 August for the sixth round of talks.

India's continued purchase of discounted Russian oil despite repeated U.S. appeals has remained a persistent irritant, official sources told The Sunday Guardian. Even after the introduction of a new legislation in the U.S. Senate proposing secondary sanctions and up to 500% tariffs on countries importing Russian energy, India maintained its buying levels, citing economic necessity and national interest.

Officials in New Delhi stated that India cannot compromise its energy security and will continue to take independent decisions on foreign policy. This refusal to yield under pressure has fueled frustration in Washington, particularly within the Trump camp, which views such defiance as undermining American authority.