Public sentiment regarding the US-India trade relations and the recent tariffs is predominantly critical. Many express frustration towards the Indian government's inadequate responses to US actions and feel that these tariffs threaten India's economic interests. There is a strong sentiment for India to assert its sovereignty, seek alternative trade partnerships, and respond confidently to external pressures. Numerous comments highlight the need for greater self-reliance and support for leaders like Shashi Tharoor who advocate stronger stances against US demands.

Government of India

Trump Administration

Shashi Tharoor


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What does he mean a penalty? Tariffs are paid by the importers, who pays the “penalty”?

Vibingwhitecat

Lol subversion of a sovereign nation is a pretty outlandish request.

ColdBostonPerson77

It's ok.  We only get about half our prescription drugs from India.

I've always said that Americans need to pay more for medical care.  They've had it too easy for too long.

FantasticJacket7

Is it a “deal” if there was no agreement and the traffic is just imposed?  90 deals in 90 days is such a joke.  Trump can’t negotiate his way out of a wet paper bag.

TheGooch01

The citizens pay, the ally estranged, the rhetoric childish, the result negligible. 

*The Art of the Deal*, from a 6-time bankrupt, felon, loser.

ApocalypseYay

I feel like these tariffs always end up hurting regular people more than anyone else.

cleowifey17

**How about an import duty on labor?**

Maybe we should consider putting a 25% import duty on Indian labor that's imported to the US. 

For every dollar US businesses spend on Indian labor (programmers, customer service, etc.) the businesses pays a 25 cent tax to the the US government.

How many jobs would be created in the US that people actually want?

You be the judge.

DONM127

When will the people of America learn that this stupid trade nonsense with tariffs is going to only hurt them in the long run. 

Penalty? Is that just an extra tariff?

An interesting thing is that a lot of scammers targeting the US based in India will be a lot less likely to have any consequences if the US wants to go lay silly games.

Sinocatk

Well a 25% tariff is pretty bad but at least there are sanctions for dealing with Russia. I can't believe that we have let so many countries trade with them.

M00nch1ld3

I'll believe it if it goes through, but I agree with this action.  India has been taking advantage of Russian oil and exports while the rest of the world has been sanctioning them.  India has been partially funding the war in Ukraine.  So some punitive action has been what's needed right along.  It may force Americans to buy their exports from another country to save on tariffs but it should have been done sooner. It might be enough to break Russia's back.

SuperstitiousPigeon5

DopeAFjknotreally

There’s a lot of people overly focused on semantics in this thread about “having” India. The main point is that the Modi government was the most pro-US government India has had in recent times, and after the split from Pakistan following the whole Osama bin Laden episode, the Obama administration was inching toward a major diplomatic and defence partnership shift to India, and Indian public opinion had done a full 180 from the Cold War days when America was considered a hostile power. Trump’s first term actually capitalized on this public opinion shift quite well and it created a great atmosphere for the governments to work together and look good domestically doing it. However, this cooperation stalled under Biden and has been almost completely thrown into chaos in Trump’s second term where he’s suddenly decided he would rather treat with the Pakistanis in exchange for silly little personal favours like Nobel prizes. This could be another historic blunder that will keep the two democracies from deepening ties for another 40 years. Trump may become as reviled among Indians as Nixon and Kissinger.

TorontoGiraffe

How did the U.S. “have” India, when India was literally the leader of the non-aligned movement?

PollutionFinancial71

I blog on Indian national security. I had so far given the benefit of doubt to Trump, assuming that he must have basic competence to be President and the US system won't allow a fool to be elected. I think I was mistaken. He's not just incompetent, he's deranged and those around him won't tell him so

[1.](http://1.You) One does not do diplomacy on social media. Don't publish something that the other side has not agreed to. I haven't seen an approved text of ANY of the agreements that various countries are supposed to have agreed -except a foundation agreement with UK.

2, The US does not have an Ambassador to India - though we are the two biggest democracies (in population, size of economy in PPP and military power). There is a one year wait for a visa interview, so there is no attempt to even get the basics of a relationship right.

3. Trump has zero understanding of our red lines and has no credibility on a shared concern like fighting terror - he entertains Pakistan, despite its state sponsored terror  
and makes ludicrous claims of his mediating a ceasefire. He says his main adversary is China, but equates his strongest potential ally (India) against China, with China The only reason any head of state would still have a serious discussion with him, is because he heads the US.

4. He also lies to the extent that nothing he says can be taken seriously. His latest tweet about Pakistan's oil reserves, is probably news to Pakistan.   
We are not a \`tariff king'. Our average tariff for US items is much less than Trump's 25% (plus an unspecified penalty) and in line with our WTO commitment.   
  
We have an adversarial relationship with China, but they export $ 120 billion to us, three times more than the US, with higher tariff's than we have with the US.   
Given that we are the 3rd largest economy (in PP terms), the fastest growing in the G20 and the top 10 trading partner of all major economies, its inappropriate to publicly call   
us a dead economy. 

Trying to tariff a country because they are prosecuting your friend (Brazil), or buying oil from Russia, are schoolyard bully tactics.

Dean_46

I do not think we ever “had India”. We are closer with Pakistan than India

perry147

Thats alright

It was clearly a calculated decision made pragmatically by the president of the USA, Donald Trump

To erase 20 years of diplomatic progress over the course of 2 months must be worth it in that case. 

Im sure the money the Trump family will mint via the Pakistani crypto council will be far more than the money America could make via trade with India

Far_Piglet_9596

SS:

In 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump stood alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston. The atmosphere was electric. Indian Americans cheered, and New Delhi appeared fully invested in the Trump presidency. Trump’s popularity in India eclipsed that of his successor Joe Biden and even Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, who is herself of Indian ancestry. Trump’s re-election in 2024 thus seemed like the beginning of a new, stronger chapter in India-U.S. relations.

That chapter is now closing fast. India is beginning to question the value of its strategic alignment with Washington. And the United States is handing it every reason to do so.

Normal_Imagination54

India has always been as neutral as they can be, we never had them to lose them

awake283

When they had India? 
At best they will get a France out of India by the look of it they will get a Brazil

spikeineyes

Uppermiddle class Indians and Americans are more closely aligned in thinking than the US is to Europe. While there are large cultural differences and an enormous under class in India, US and India relations are not bad. It will be a real rivalry going forward, but not hostile.

Gajanvihari

Utterly stupid move by Trump, India is a rising economic and military power and could have been one of the most important US allies in the 21st century. 

Everything this guy does only weakens us. Russia and China smile every day this clown remains in office.

ChrisF1987

If the US imposes sanctions on Russia, it would actually target India.

One-Strength-1978

Sana Hashmi the author of the article seems to take idea that India was coming in swinging to Usa and it would have helped to establish a permanent ally or whatever the author is trying to communicate in her ideas. India was never a Usa ally, it always took to look at advantages it can get from Usa and China.
 Trump does not matter much since the war in Ukraine is going out and India by buying Russian oil is certainly proving her autonomy does not come at any cost. 
This is just a more pragmatic shift and no way Usa wants another 1.5 billion country to rise and challenge it's and China's hegemony.

Weak_Adhesiveness621

I think people are a bit naive about the ceiling for this relationship.

There’s no real reason for the US and India to be allies or trust each other right now. There are way too many diverging interests

lostinspacs

LongShow5279

I think the United States has realized that India cannot be  a counterweight to China, much as they wish it. Here's the legendary and late Charlie Munger articulating it in a forthright manner. [https://www.reddit.com/r/IndiaSpeaks/comments/186j3qt/charlie\_munger\_on\_india\_thoughts/](https://www.reddit.com/r/IndiaSpeaks/comments/186j3qt/charlie_munger_on_india_thoughts/)

ImprovementGreat7654

The US foreign policy is causing it to get isolated from the classic allies. This is bad news in a timeframe it is losing the competition with China fast, politically, militarily and economically. The west will pay a huge price for that, if it will not result in a global conflict we cannot win.

Andries_1960

Wasn’t India always considered close to the Russians for the longest time so much so that the US sided with Pakistan during the 1971 war. 

It was only after the Kargil War in 1999 when the terrorists were found to be Pakistani army regulars that the US toughened its stance on Pakistan and moved closer to India - coinciding later with the large number of techies from India. 

The US has brought India into the Quad security dialogue, working on U2I2, and other cooperative efforts (defense, technology etc) but India has always avoided taking sides so far (trying to maintain its friendship with the Russians and The US). The US saw India as a natural ally against China that more tech manufacturing is slowly moving to India. 

But to say US ever “had India” is a exaggeration

hinterstoisser

I would write the opposite headline. The US tried fairly hard to court India during both the Trump I and Biden admin, but at the end of the day India didn't really want that kind of partnership and Washington has largely lost interest in pursuing it even before Trump II.

somethingicanspell

outtayoleeg

Because when the average American goes grocery shopping almost everything they buy is processed and packaged and overloaded with sugar. It’s not because they’re going to all-you-can-eat cake eating events every day.

This is probably a once a year event. Let people stuff themselves with cake every once in a while if they want to

Doctor__Hammer

The US never ‘had’ India. India always picks itself and it will not fight China together with the US. It will stay out of that fight and it will try to profit from it by gaining favors from both sides.

India will also not fight alongside China or Russia, so when they so clearly go for their own interests, one can ask how useful they are for anyone. Trump is right to turn the screws on India.

What does India even have to offer to the US besides (massively overrated) cheap IT services which stands to be easily automated away using AI?

simulacrum79

I’m all for criticizing Trump, but India never really committed to being an ally to the US/West. 

Sure, the US blew it with India in the 50s, but I think in the recent decades India more than had a chance to change the relationship. 

Now? 

India relies on Russian weaponry and Russia has no capacity to supply India in the foreseeable future, so good luck with that. 

India’s 2 main existential threats are Pakistan (with whom the US has apparently decided to reengage) and China… China who is the senior partner in Sino-Russo “friendship”. Pakistan is also quite well aligned with China. 

In other words, India needs the US much much more than the US needs whatever India has been offering up until now.

Deucalion667

Honestly if India still thinks protecting their small plot farmers is more important than developing trade they probably aren't going to be that important in China / US confrontation timelines.


Until agriculture stops absorbing such vast amounts of labor they won't develop.

Forsaken-Bobcat-491

This is like the final nail in the coffin. I still don't know what's in play here. Do they want to keep Pak not falling into the hands of China, I think time has surpassed for that or are they using Pak as a leverage to get India more submissive and use them against China.


Whatever they try, Indians are well aware that they're sharing borders with the both permanently and they are not going to do anything which would cause permanent disharmony.

CarmynRamy

I am more worried about India leaning towards Authoritarianism. India with liberal values will at least not be a great adversary to the US. India joining the authoritarian bloc of China, Russia, N Korea and Iran will be very difficult to deal with.

DaySecure7642

By the lens of Indian alliances, US-India relations had been progressing quite well. The gradual shift away from Russian weaponry is due to many reasons, the war being one of them, but also a good deal of progress on relationships with the west as well. Take the current scenario where India’s trying to decide where it’ll procure its fifth gen fighters. The f35 being on offer, competing against the su57 (which is certainly inferior, but comes with tech transfer) is a sign of how far things had progressed. In ten years time, where could things have been? Especially as Pakistan has grown very close to china, it’s quite possible that the typical alignment polarity of the two nations could have reversed entirely.

M0nast1c

[deleted]

Even at 25% you still couldn't beat the costs of making things there. This is just an unnecessary extra cost for us. Fuck this dumb government.

espresso_martini__

*Trump threatens Americans with tariffs as high as 25% on Indian goods

Just_the_nicest_guy

Big pharma and fertilizers must have one hell of a lobby in USA.

SinisterSaturn69

lol. This is why it’s better to have enemies than have friends like the US. 

Everyone shitting on India’s non alignment policy are eating crow. 

Fucking Canada who had their soldiers die for American wars are being made to suffer more. 

lLikeCats

Be ready for pay 25% more on all your medicines Americans.

The American consumers are paying these tariffs...not the actual countries.

swgoh_gg

Prior_Implement_9279

Cool distraction taco.

**Release the files**

Ouch-oof-owie

x-Moss

Trump threatens to increase taxes on Indian goods, ***imported to America and paid by Americans***, as high as 25%

vicious_abstraction

ISmellLikeAss

Tim \*\*Apple\*\* just can't catch a break

National-Charity-435

After that deal with the EU he's gassed up now.      
What happens when you give in to a bully.

_yotsuna_

How is India getting lower tariffs than Canada.

LongRoadNorth

I just imagine being the head of a country right now with the world on edge and wars everywhere and on top of that you suddenly get hit by the tariff wheel of fortune and you just sigh and put your head in your hands.

KupoCheer

loud_and_harmless

ur_anus_is_a_planet

Congratulations to all American citizens who voted for Trump, hope you enjoy paying extra taxes 😂

okokokre

Forget tariffs. You want to scare them tell them you’ll ban offshoring office jobs to them. But then actually go through it.

Biggie62

But I thought they already had a deal?  The greatest deal, believe me.  A deal that is probably the biggest deal of them all.

Or maybe deals just mean Jack shit when they are made with Trump.  That’s why a lot of countries are not stampeding to sign bad deals for themselves.  Better to watch and wait as the courts decide if Trump has any right to impose tariffs without Congress.

HalJordan2424

Akaza_Dorian

MrH0rseman

He should stop spouting bullshit, is he trying to make the world ally with china as soon as possible?

Necessary_Assist_841

HurrySweet4767

Orange Clown does funny dance to attempt to get the audience to look away from the pedo trapeze accident.

Lee_scratch_perineum

Taco don whata bad ass at least to a trumper

Neat_Diamond_8553

In case the rest of the world hasn’t caught on. The upper limit is actually going to be 15% unless it’s for targeted industries. That’s the upper limit of the legal methods the administration can use once this initial authority is found to be illegal

abc13680

Unfortunately while India can find other markets for their goods if it isn't worthwhile to them to sell here, I can't leave the country to avoid these stupid tariffs. Congress really needs to end the tariff power that Trump is abusing.

gentlemantroglodyte

It almost seems semi-credible after the hundreds of percent days of yore.

Otaraka

Exceptions for Tim Apple and anybody else that will give him free stuff.

armchairqb2020

wjames0394

I thought this was his base number he was flinging around? Then you’re supposed to be happy the actual tax the Americans pay is only 10-15%

Prestigious-Car-4877

TheJpow

hmm, doesn't sound good. anyways, has that man stopped raping little girls?

enballz

This could ripple through the tech sector, where many are already navigating challenges like Trump’s push to halt hiring in India.

https://nrinewsclub.com/articles/trump-urges-tech-giants-to-halt-hiring-in-india-what-it-means-for-nri/

Successful_Ad_8088

Given this is a tax on imports, which the US pays pay, shouldn't the question be what does India export to the Us that are vital commodities or products?

Bobby837

Should be no big deal, why would Americans need pharmaceuticals, with all their clean living and stuff.🤦‍♀️

Namethypoison1

I hope Modi doesn’t cave. All he has to do is stay quiet and let this hang for a while. Meanwhile Americans get dropped from Medicare/ Medicaid with BBB and drug prices shooting up. India can ensure T’s downfall.

Prottusha1

Isn’t India going to get hit with 100% secondary sanctions for buying Russian oil?

Successful-Hour3027

Wait till he puts 25 percent tax on IT offshoring .all our big balls will fall down 🤣🤣🤣

play3xxx1

After having steamrolled the EU, india is just a stepping stone to taking on China. Now that showdown will be interesting.

xParesh

There’s no way he’s getting any money from them…they’ll promise to your face and then get you back while you’re not looking.

thekwakwak

What does india export to USA? Only indian goods i see here are at the indian grocery stores, or at discount stores like Ross.

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Tbh US is never reasonable, they like to make their way with power

IntelligentHoney6929

Someone need to learn from him how to talk about nation. Not always Modi this Modi that.

NodeModules

Can someone please make him the leader of any opposition party? The rest are clowns only.

Random16indian69

The fact that he even associates with that pappu gandu is so disappointing

StoicAndChill

Absolutely right. Opening agriculture and other sectors would be disastrous for India.

Fxxxingawesome

The only politician in our country who talks sense.

Aries_reddit

Can someone explain why Shashi Tharoor, with his intellect and eloquent vocabulary, remains in a party where Rahul Gandhi is a key figure and individuals like Supriya Shrinate and Pawan Khera hold higher positions in the hierarchy than Tharoor?

akashsal2704

The US being the biggest economy in the world is constantly using arm twisting tactics to pressurise other nations smaller economies have already surrendered to their influence but India should not fall for this manipulation at one point the US refused to purchase oil from Iran Venezuela and other countries it had conflicts with and now it is telling India not to buy oil from Russia then where exactly is India supposed to fulfill its energy needs from they keep shifting their stance to suit their geopolitical interests and expect others to blindly follow their lead that is not how global trade works India must take a firm stand and prioritise its own economic stability and the needs of its people above American dictates

spirit101_gg

Ye banda kafi reasonable hai. Unlike our rest of the opposition jo sirf statements deti hai without backing it with logic. Unfortunately this guy is associated with the dumbest party our country has right now.

debmitra26

Tharoor speaking one ear and reporter in one ear.

ManofTheNightsWatch

It was always going to be a slippery slope to get into this tariff mania

rockstar283

MapEnvironmental5204

Basmati rice and maggi noodles cost go up for all NRIs in US.

bilby2020

https://preview.redd.it/06ua1wgce0gf1.jpeg?width=686&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp&amp;s=ce7fd504c729f4b4dec671947588bc2410ec48c9

PerformanceNo5216

That's intense, didn't expect the US-India trade tensions to escalate like this!

External_Start_5130

SaladPuzzleheaded612

India is reacting strongly to President Donald Trump's recent announcement of a 25% tariff on Indian exports to the United States, which has caused significant disruption in bilateral trade negotiations.

US-India Trade Relations and Tariffs

Why This Matters

Public Sentiment Summary

Highlighted Comments

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What the people want