In a move that’s as symbolic as it is aggressive, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order doubling tariffs on imported steel and aluminium to 50%, effective June 4, 2025. The hike, justified under “national security,” targets key Indian exports, while exempting close allies like the UK. (US India Trade)
This sharp escalation comes even as negotiations were ongoing, adding insult to injury. And it lays bare a fundamental truth: Washington doesn’t want trade. It wants submission.
When the West Writes Rules, It Won’t Follow
The U.S. says this hike is meant to stop “cheap dumping” and “protect domestic jobs.” But when India imposes its own tariffs even as a defensive measure, Washington cries foul and rushes to the WTO.
Worse, when India approached the WTO over Trump’s original 25% steel tariff, the U.S. dismissed the ruling outright as not just “baseless” but claimed it was acting under sovereignty, national security, and strategic interest.
So the rules are clear:
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The U.S. can raise tariffs citing national security.
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India doing the same is a “violation.”
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WTO rulings apply to the rest, but never to Washington.
Howard Lutnick’s Words Reveal Washington’s Real Intent
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made the power play crystal clear. He praised India’s economy, then criticised its independent foreign policy—from BRICS to its Russia ties—and complained that India “rubs America the wrong way.”
This wasn’t policy. It was a warning: toe our line, or pay the price.
The 50% tariffs aren’t just economic. They’re political—punishing India for choosing sovereignty over servitude.
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They Want Our Markets, Not Our Exports
For years, India has been pressured to lower trade barriers, buy overpriced American goods—from weapons to almonds—and never retaliate. Even as India runs a trade deficit with the U.S., it is painted as the “protectionist.”
Now, with this new tariff wall, it’s clear what Washington wants:
A one-way market.
India must open its doors to U.S. goods. But American markets? Closed to Indian steel, aluminium, pharma, and more.
That’s not trade. That’s exploitation.
West Gets Exemptions. India Gets Tariffs.
The UK has been spared the new 50% tariffs. Why? Because it’s in Washington’s “good books.” Same for other Western partners. This isn’t economics, it’s Hypocritical politics disguised as trade policy.
India, despite being a democracy, a QUAD partner, and a vital Indo-Pacific power, is punished for asserting independence.
India’s Patience Is Wearing Thin
The Indian government is reportedly planning retaliatory measures. Past responses have included higher tariffs on almonds, pulses, and chemicals. This time, the response may be broader and stronger.
Let’s be clear: India didn’t start this trade war. But it has every right to defend its industries.
WTO For You, Not For Us
Washington built the WTO. It claims to defend the global order. But every time the system rules against the U.S., it throws the rulebook out the window.
This is what the world is waking up to:
There’s no “rules-based order.” Only a power-based order.
India Is Not A Colony
The era of Western economic domination is ending. India is not a passive market anymore. The U.S. cannot dictate what it buys, whom it trades with, or how it grows.
Trump’s tariff hike won’t bend India’s spine. If anything, it will reinforce the need for self-reliance, trade diversification, and BRICS+ cooperation.
And as for Lutnick’s irritation? Good. India wasn’t meant to comfort imperialists. It was meant to outgrow them.