‘Don’t spoil relations with a strong ally like India…’, Nikki Haley said on Trump’s tariff threat

Nikki Haley warned Trump about tariffs on India-Photo Credit -Reuters

Nikki Haley has long been in favour of strong relations between India and America. She believes that a strong partnership with democratic countries like India is necessary to stop the growing influence of China. She warned Trump not to give concessions to an enemy country like China and not to spoil relations with an ally like India.

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s proposal to impose heavy tariffs on Indian goods. Haley warned that this move could sour India-US relations, which are currently at a very crucial juncture. She warned Trump not to give concessions to an enemy country like China and not to spoil relations with an ally like India.

Nikki Haley also accused the Trump administration of adopting a double standard. She said that the US gave a 90-day tariff exemption for trade with China, while being strict with India.

Haley wrote on X handle , “India should not buy oil from Russia, but China, which is our enemy and also the biggest oil buyer of Russia and Iran, got a 90-day tariff exemption. Do not give concessions to China and do not spoil relations with a strong ally like India.”

Nikki Haley has long been in favour of strong relations between India and America. She believes that a strong partnership with democratic countries like India is necessary to stop the growing influence of China.

Her comments came at a time when Trump said in an interview to CNBC that he would greatly increase the tariff on Indian goods, which has been implemented from August 1 at 25%. Trump has taken this decision regarding India’s purchase of Russian oil and said that this is “fueling the war machine”.

Trump said in the interview, “India’s tariffs are the highest in the world. They trade a lot with us, but we trade very little with them. We had agreed on a 25% tariff, but now I am going to increase it a lot because they are buying Russian oil.”

Trump also claimed that India had proposed to reduce the tariff on American goods to zero in a new agreement, but he called it insufficient. Trump said, “If they are funding a war that we oppose, then just zero tariffs are not enough.”

Let us tell you that India has repeatedly defended its energy policy. India says that it buys oil keeping in mind its national interest and cheap prices. The Foreign Ministry has also said that the US and European countries themselves maintain trade and energy relations with Russia, despite this they criticize others.