This article argues that recent U.S. tariff threats against India, including explicit penalties for continued trade with Russia, signal a broader structural use of economic tools to enforce geopolitical alignment. These actions, part of a wider U.S. and Western strategy, leverage supply chains, digital standards, and financial rules to pressure rising powers and constrain their autonomy. India is not confronting isolated trade disputes, but strategic scrutiny within a global system governed by opaque hierarchies of control. By examining Western responses to Ukraine, Gaza, and other contested regions, the article reveals the contradictions of value-based diplomacy. It concludes by proposing a new Indian trade doctrine grounded in economic sovereignty, sovereign treaty infrastructure, diversified global partnerships, and adaptive tools such as SMART FTAs.
Tariffs, Trade and Trump: The Empire’s Mirage That Punishes Sovereignty (Amiya Chandra – Vivekananda International Foundation)
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