Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most US imports from India, making good on a threat to punish one of the world’s largest economies over its purchases of discounted Russian oil.

The tariffs, which came into effect just after midnight on Wednesday in Washington, risk inflicting significant damage on the Indian economy and further disrupting global supply chains.

US tariffs of 25% on Indian goods went into force earlier this month, but Trump announced plans to double the rate, citing New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, which the White House has argued is indirectly funding Russia’s war against Ukraine.

  • Grapho@lemmy.ml
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    5 days ago

    Sure, but Biden did it through official channels and in the standard USA way of diplomatic blackmail with a fake carrot and the threat of a lot of stick.

    This dumb motherfucker gives you stick and a promise not to give you even more stick, then tells everyone you’re such a huge cuck you’re probably gonna take more stick later anyway. One is obviously gonna drive all but the most whipped of whipped dogs (the EU) away.

    • FriendBesto@lemmy.ml
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      15 hours ago

      Still, it does not make it a smart move from the Biden admin. Since for all we know, Biden may not have been even fully aware this was happening. I heard Biden on tape on the investigation Re: he keeping documents and at points he sounds like a senile grandpa – recommend people seek it out on YT, it is extremely enlightenmenting given the timeframe.

      Legal or not is not the point, is whether it was a smart move. It was not. Do not weaponize the legal tender or the mechanisms of its trade. All he did was antagonize everyone by proxy. It was simply not a smart thing and very shortsighted.

      It made BRICS or alternative choices look better than they should be. I am sure most people who care about geopolitics can see that.

    • hector@lemmy.today
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      15 hours ago

      There is a carrot, It is corruption. There is so much going on behind the scenes right now with these guys. Any carrot would be self-serving by the administration obviously. The president has made 3.6 billion dollars he would not have since he got re-elected, that we know about according to some journalists that looked into it recently.

      The amount they have made under the table in deals through surrogates is surely a lot more than that. For reference it is estimated that Putin is the richest person in the world in reality.

      The truly great see money as a means to an end, these guys see money as the end.