Trump reciprocal tariffs: Here’s the best-case scenario for India
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The US-India economic partnership is the envy of many. But our joint mission of achieving $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 stands on shaky ground.
US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff policy, due to come into effect on 2 April, has upset global markets and will strain our trade relations. India must keep its eyes wide open at this time of heightened global uncertainty and consider three scenarios that may unfold. Scenario 1—A full-blown trade war: A trade war triggered by reciprocal tariff hikes can upend bilateral trade and is not unlikely.
India imposes an average tariff of around 15% on US imports, and the US imposes around 4% on Indian imports. This means the US may hike tariffs by around 10 -11 percentage points to match our rates, and this does not count how America will quantify the impact of India’s non-tariff barriers, such as cumbersome customs and standards accreditation procedures for certain goods. Key Indian exports, including chemicals, metal products and jewellery, are particularly vulnerable to US tariff hikes.
Goldman Sachs estimates that a 10-percentage-point increase in American tariffs could reduce India’s GDP by up to 60 basis points as exports fall by 11-12%. If India responds with counter-tariffs on US goods, especially in politically sensitive sectors such as agriculture and defence, Trump is sure to react badly. A vicious and impractical escalatory spiral is already on full display in US-Canada trade relations, which is telling, given that the two countries are seen to be joined at the hip.
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