Indians voice concern over Trump’s tariff hike: Video
New Delhi residents have criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on Indian exports, calling the move unfair and harmful to trade.
The additional 25% tariff, reportedly linked to India’s oil trade with Russia, has sparked concerns about worsening relations between the two countries.
Mritunjay, a 19-year-old student, said the new tariffs are too extreme and unnecessary.
“Trump’s approach seems overly radical,” he told AFP, adding that a smaller increase would have been more reasonable.
“Russia has historically been India’s evergreen friend, offering support even during the 1971 war. Such radical measures are not appropriate.”
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Businessman Shailendra Mishra, 38, said the impact on exports and prices will be felt in the short term, but India’s economy remains strong.
“Things will get expensive, and exports will decrease. But India is growing tremendously. It’s not within the capacity of any country to shake India now,” he said.
Mishra also said the tariff hike reflects a pattern of political pressure.
“Trump keeps initiating provocations to dominate others, like Russia and Israel,” he said. “He increased tariffs to push India away from buying oil from Russia. But our role in the world has always remained neutral, whether in World War I or World War II.”
Nitya Rastogi, a 20-year-old student, said Trump’s actions could backfire.
“India is a massive market. His decisions could hurt him as well,” he said. He also rejected Trump’s recent remarks calling India a “dead economy.” “How is India a dead economy? We’ve grown to become the third-largest developing economy.”
The tariff hike adds to existing tensions in US-India trade, with both sides navigating complex geopolitical and economic interests.
India is the world’s largest democracy, the fourth-largest economy, and the fastest-growing.
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
