US President Donald Trump is drawing sharp criticism at home over his decision to impose steep tariffs on India, with foreign policy experts calling the move “irrational” and urging Washington to eliminate the duties entirely.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Edward Price, adjunct professor at New York University, described the US-India partnership as the most crucial of the 21st century, stressing that India holds a “deciding vote” in shaping global power dynamics.
“I can’t for the life of me understand why the President of the United States, in confrontation with China and in a war with Russia, would impose 50 percent tariffs on India. We should reduce them to zero and apologise,” Price said.
Price praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic balancing act, noting that while he has signalled India’s strategic autonomy, he has avoided fully aligning with Russia and China. “PM Modi is pretty smart. He is reminding the Americans he has options, but he has not embraced China and Russia—he didn’t even attend Beijing’s military parade,” he observed.
Rejecting the notion that India might drift into China’s orbit, Price emphasised New Delhi’s independent foreign policy. “India is an independently minded sovereign with its own civilisation. There’s no way it will permanently choose one side, especially after seeing how China has economically dominated Russia,” he argued.
Addressing allegations by former US NSA Jake Sullivan that Trump’s business interests may be influencing policy toward Pakistan, Price acknowledged concerns but said they remain difficult to verify. “Presidents are not supposed to have active financial interests. Unfortunately, with Trump, it’s almost impossible to know the full truth,” he noted.
The remarks underscore mounting unease among US analysts that escalating trade tensions could weaken strategic cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies at a time of intensifying great power rivalry.
