The Geopolitics of Tariffs: When Sanctions Morph into Trade Deals
When the US levies tariffs or imposes sanctions, the stated rationale is often to correct an imbalance or punish an undesirable action. With India, punitive tariffs on steel and aluminum were imposed by the Trump administration in 2018 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, citing national security concerns. These tariffs caused significant strain in US-India trade relations. CASE A:
India's 'Agreement' to Cease Russian Oil Purchases The reported agreement from the *Financial Times* frames India's potential decision to halt Russian oil imports as a concession, a condition for the removal of existing US tariffs. This narrative paints India as a strategic partner being incentivized to align with Western foreign policy objectives. The framing, highlighted by phrases like 'Modi
'agrees' to stop buying Russian oil,' suggests a quid pro quo that benefits both nations, portraying the tariff removal as a reward for geopolitical compliance. This specific deal, if finalized, would reposition India squarely within the US-led sanctions regime against Russia, despite India having notably increased its Russian oil imports by nearly 20 times between early 2022 and late 2023,
becoming Russia's top oil customer (Bloomberg, 2023). CASE B: The 'Exceptionalism' of European Energy Dependencies Contrast this with the treatment of European nations that, until recently, were heavily reliant on Russian energy. Germany, for example, imported approximately 55% of its natural gas from Russia in 2021. While public pressure and the war in Ukraine ultimately pushed Germany and other