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India holds its ground for now as Trump slaps 25% tariff and threatens penalty for trade with Russia

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FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo/File Photo

Like Mr Donald Trump, whose policies revolve around his domestic Maga base, Mr Modi is also a nationalist leader who cannot afford to ignore his domestic constituency.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Follow topic:
  • Trump threatens India with tariffs, citing "obnoxious" trade barriers and Russian ties, despite India hoping close US ties would offer lower tariff rate.
  • India aims to protect farmers amid Trump's demands for greater market access in agriculture and dairy, crucial due to possible political fallout.
  • One sector with large exposure to the US market is smartphones, where India has overtaken China to become the top exporter of smartphones to the US.

AI generated

 The Modi government found itself in an unenviable position with limited choices after US President Donald Trump levied a 25 per cent tax on India from Aug 1 and threatened it with an additional penalty for doing business with Russia.

Still, analysts noted, India’s best bet is to continue negotiating a trade agreement, which has been stuck over the quantum of American access into the Indian market, particularly in the agriculture and dairy sectors.

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