U.S. and India Trade Tensions: Haley Criticizes Trump's Tariff Threats
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has publicly criticized President Donald Trump's new tariff threats against India, warning that the United States should not harm its relationship with a key ally.
Haley's comments follow a series of actions by the Trump administration, including the implementation of a 25% tariff on Indian goods last week, which took effect on August 1st. In a press briefing and on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump has further threatened to "very substantially" increase these tariffs. He justifies the move by stating that India's continued purchase of Russian oil helps finance Russia's war in Ukraine.
Haley has argued that this approach represents a double standard in the administration's foreign policy. She pointed out that while India is a strong U.S. ally, China—a rival and the top buyer of Russian and Iranian oil—has been granted a 90-day tariff pause. She urged against giving China a "pass" while "burning a relationship with a strong ally like India."
In response, India has defended its policy, with the Ministry of External Affairs labeling the U.S. tariff threats as "unjustified and unreasonable." Indian officials stated that their country's purchase of Russian oil is a "necessity compelled by global market conditions" and not a political endorsement of Moscow. They have also highlighted what they see as hypocrisy, noting that the U.S. and some European nations continue to import various goods from Russia, such as uranium and fertilizer.
The escalating trade tensions come as a new bipartisan bill is being introduced in the U.S. Senate that could impose even steeper tariffs on nations that continue to buy Russian energy.
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