American economist Jeffrey Sachs has criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on imports from India, calling the move “unconstitutional” and warning that US politicians
“do not care at all about India”. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Sachs said New Delhi should not expect long-term security by aligning with Washington in the Quad against China. ‘India Has Independent Standing in the World’ Sachs emphasised that India, as a great power, should maintain its independent global stance. “India is not going to reap long-term security by siding with the United States in the Quad against China. India is a great power that has an independent standing in the world. Everything that Trump is doing on tariffs is unconstitutional,” he told the publication.
I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's… pic.twitter.com/pZp9ENzerf
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2025
His remarks come after Trump’s announcement ruling out any trade talks with India until the tariff issue is settled. In the Oval Office on Thursday, the US president said, “No, not until we get it resolved.”
Trade Tensions and Political Backlash in the US
The tensions escalated after Trump criticised India’s oil and arms deals with Russia, posting on social media, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”
Prominent US Congressman Gregory Meeks, a Democrat, also took aim at the president’s stance, warning that Trump’s “tariff tantrum” risks undoing years of work to strengthen the US-India partnership.
The two countries have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement for months but have hit roadblocks in key sectors such as agriculture and dairy. The next round of talks was due in New Delhi on 25 August, just two days before a separate 25 per cent penalty on India, linked to its continued purchase of Russian oil, is set to take effect. This would be on top of the newly announced 50 per cent import tariff.
