Indian American: To improve India-US ties, an community leader demands that tariffs be reversed

Indian American:  doctor and community leader Dr. Bharat Barai cautioned that unless Washington reverses recent tariff measures, India-US relations could remain tense for the foreseeable future. He claimed that New Delhi has been unfairly singled out amid larger global trade and energy dynamics.

In an interview with IANS, Dr. Barai said that since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, trade moves motivated more by politics than economics have damaged the momentum generated in India-US relations over numerous administrations.

Dr. Barai acknowledged that there is a trade gap between the US and India, but pointed out that a calibrated economic strategy should have been used to overcome it. “Doing X amount of tariffs purely on economic grounds to remove the trade deficit will be one thing, and they impose 25% that so-called reciprocal duty to wipe out the trade deficit,” he said, noting that the figure ought to have been lower, “more like 15% or so.”

The extra 25% levy imposed as a punishment related to India’s imports of Russian oil was specifically criticized by him. As Dr. Barai denounced Russia’s activities in Ukraine, he said that India had become “a sort of innocent bystander casualty” in an inconsistent strategy.

“China is importing more oil than India, but China has a Trump card, and their Trump card is the rare earth metals,” he said, citing the reliance of the US and Europe on Chinese rare earths for modern aircraft, defense equipment, and electric cars. He said that a number of European nations kept importing Russian energy without being subject to such sanctions.

Therefore, why is India receiving a 25% increased import charge whereas China is only receiving 47%? The majority of European nations make up around 15%. Slovenia and Hungary are not subject to additional taxes for their continued imports of Russian oil,” he said.

Dr. Barai named President Trump, immigration hardliner Stephen Miller, and trade advisor Peter Navarro as the main forces behind the tariff choices, attributing them to a tiny group inside the government. He said that while many senators privately disapproved, they were hesitant to voice their opinions.

When they talk about it privately, a lot of senators and congressmen express their extreme displeasure. They acknowledge that this is incorrect, but they are all terrified that President Trump would attempt to get retribution on them,” he added, adding that their silence had been caused by their dread of primary challenges.

He said that the results of previous elections in places like Virginia and New Jersey, as well as a Miami mayoral race, showed the public’s rising dissatisfaction. His policies are losing a lot of support. “They are completely arbitrary, composed by three individuals sitting in the Oval Office instead of the US Congress,” Dr. Barai said, hoping that the Supreme Court would finally decide that Congress had jurisdiction over tariffs.

Regarding the future of bilateral relations, Dr. Barai said that until a trade deal eliminated the extra tax, the relationship may stay frozen. Although he acknowledged that certain Indian businesses, such as Reliance, have cut down on their purchases of Russian oil when sanctions were placed on particular Russian corporations, he said that India could not totally give up a significant supply of energy.

He said that just approximately 35% of India’s oil comes from Russia, with the remainder coming from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. “For India, serving the population of 1.4 billion, wherever they can find a reliable source and cheaper source of energy, it is important,” he said.

According to Dr. Barai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was acting in the best interests of India and had resisted pressure from Washington “very diplomatically, very politely, very gentlemanly.” He said, “He is acting in the best interests of the Indian people.”

Citing better relations with Europe, a free trade deal with the UK, more involvement with Africa, and a recent defense accord with Australia, he also said that India’s stature in the world has improved over the last year. “With the possible exception of the United States,” he remarked, “India is respected more than before.”