Congress lawmaker and ex-international diplomat Shashi Tharoor has proposed that the United States' imposition of heavy tariffs on India might have a political message, especially when contrasted with the comparatively softer approach adopted with China.
Commenting on India's Russian oil imports, Tharoor said, "China is buying nearly double the amount, but they've been provided with 90 days' notice, whereas India has been given just three weeks" before the additional tariffs kick in. The initial surge of 25% tariffs was introduced on Thursday, with the further escalation to 50% to follow later this month.
While speaking to journalists outside Parliament, Tharoor, speaking in Hindi, said, "If there is no change within the next three weeks, we should bring the same rate against them."
He clearly felt that although the U.S. has used the term "reciprocal," India's average tariff on American imports stands at about 17%, so that the actions of the U.S. might have gone beyond reciprocity only.
"Another unstated message from Washington seems to be present. The government should carefully evaluate the situation and act accordingly," he said.
Tharoor also accepted the possibility of the impact of the increase in tariffs on Indian exports to America. "We do about $90 billion worth of trade with the U.S. If Indian products are 50% pricier, American consumers will hesitate to buy them. Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China may exploit this opportunity by providing cheaper options," he said.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge squarely blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his so-called "disastrously dithering" foreign policy for the trade friction with the United States.
To this, Prime Minister Modi responded by making a statement upholding his party's promise of safeguarding farmers' interests, though he did not directly mention the U.S. tariffs or any particular country.
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