Donald Trump is trying to hurt India again! Apparently he asked the European Union (EU) to hit India and China with a massive 100% tariff. It sounds crazy, isn’t it? Well, it’s true he asked, but before you start worrying, let’s look at why the EU is basically saying, “Yeah, no, we’re good.”
First off, let’s talk about why he even brought this up. Basically, it’s all about the war in Ukraine. The U.S. believes that India and China are helping Russia fund their war machine by buying up all that Russian oil. Trump’s idea was to slap these countries with huge tariffs to hit Russia where it hurts—in the wallet. He even said the U.S. would do the same if the EU joined in, sort of a “let’s be partners in this” move.
But here’s the thing: the EU isn’t on board. EU officials have made it pretty clear that this isn’t their style. They handle tariffs very differently from sanctions, and a 100% tariff on a whole country is a huge deal. It would need a long, drawn-out legal process, and frankly, they’re not even talking about it. A big reason is that the EU is actually in the middle of trying to finalize a major trade deal with India. Imposing a massive tariff would completely torpedo those negotiations, and they’re not willing to do that. They’d rather just target specific companies or banks with sanctions if they’re caught helping Russia, which is what they’ve been doing.
If this tariff nightmare did happen, it would be a huge blow to India. The exports that would get hit hardest are the ones that are very price-sensitive, like textiles, gems, jewelry, and seafood. A 100% tariff would make those goods twice as expensive, and pretty much no one would buy them. That would mean big trouble for countless factories and jobs.
This all is an extension to the similar move from Trump in August this year when he slapped a 50% tariff on Indian goods, also because of Russian oil. That move caused a lot of tension and was a major headache for Indian exporters. It showed how trade can become a weapon in global politics.
So, for now, it looks like a bullet dodged for India. While the whole situation is a good reminder of the unpredictable world of international trade, the EU’s firm stance means this particular threat isn’t likely to become a reality.
