Donald Trump has revived his tariff hammer, and this time India is the nail. A 25% levy on Indian goods was already in place. Now another 25% has been added, taking textile tariffs close to 50%. The official excuse? India’s purchase of Russian oil.
But India is not the only one. China is buying far more Russian crude. Yet no similar penalty has been placed on Beijing. Why single out New Delhi?
Political, Not Economic
Trade experts in New Delhi point out the obvious. The reason is not economic. It is political. Sharon Ray of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations put it plainly: “India seems to be the only large country impacted by this tariff, even though China is also buying Russian oil.”
This is not the first time. During Trump’s first term, India was picked out over Iranian oil. Tariffs were threatened then too, though not imposed. The pattern is familiar. India is treated as the easy target when Washington wants to look tough.
Why India, Not China?
Three explanations stand out.
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Strategic calculation. China has the weight to strike back. India does not. Tariffs on Indian exports carry fewer risks for Washington.
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Symbolic politics. Punishing India allows Trump to claim he is cracking down on Russian oil trade while avoiding a direct clash with Beijing.
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Domestic grievances. India has often been criticised in US politics as a trade rival that protects its home markets while selling into America. The tariff move plays well to that storyline.
Real People Pay the Price
The political theatre has real consequences. In Noida’s textile hub, small entrepreneurs are already cutting orders. Exporters like Ashish Kushwah and Nitan Pratap say shipments to the US are frozen. Their workshops employ hundreds of workers who live on daily wages.
India exported $10.5 billion worth of garments to the US in 2024. That pipeline now faces disruption because Washington wants to make an example of India. Families who depend on stitching, cutting, and packing clothes are the ones who will feel the pinch first.
A Bitter Irony
The irony is sharp. India is central to Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy. Successive US administrations have called it a partner, even a counterweight to China. Yet when the politics demand a show of strength, it is India—not China—that is punished.
So the question lingers. Was this really about oil? Or was it about choosing a target that would not hit back?
For now, the answer is clear. India is being punished not for what it bought, but for being the one country Washington could afford to punish.
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