The Geopolitics of Tariffs: Appeasement or Asset Acquisition?
The context they conveniently omitted: The Al Jazeera article highlights Donald Trump's stated intention to reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50 percent to 18 percent. It explicitly links the previous 25% 'punitive' tariff to India's purchase of Russian oil, alongside a 'reciprocal' 25% tariff. This framing positions the tariff reduction as a concession, a reward for perceived compliance, or
perhaps a pre-emptive bid for future alignment. Which raises the question: Why the sudden leniency for India, particularly given its continued, albeit reduced, engagement with Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine? And how does this compare to the U.S. approach to other nations that diverge from its foreign policy directives? Double Standard Analysis: Russia vs. China CASE A: India's
Russia Oil Purchases The original article cites a 25% 'punitive' tariff on India for buying Russian oil. This tariff, combined with a 'reciprocal' tariff, brought the total to 50%. The implication is that India's deviation from the U.S.-led sanctions regime against Russia was met with economic penalties. However, despite these penalties, India remained a significant buyer of Russian crude, taking
advantage of discounted prices that saved its economy an estimated $7.8 billion in 2023 alone (Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, 2024). Now, the proposed reduction to 18% suggests a softening stance. The framing is one of a 'slash,' implying a positive development, almost a reprieve. The implicit message is that India, despite its past actions (defined as problematic by Washington), is