Congress MP and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor has criticised US President Donald Trump for imposing steep tariffs on Indian exports. He believes the move shows clear bias, especially since the US has treated China more leniently despite its larger oil imports from Russia.

China Gets More Time, India Gets Less

To begin with, Tharoor pointed out that China buys almost double the amount of Russian oil compared to India. Yet, the US gave China 90 days to respond, while India was given just three weeks.

“China is purchasing almost double, and they have been given 90 days while India has been given just three weeks,” he said.

Moreover, he noted that the US has already imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods. This will soon rise to 50% if India continues buying oil from Russia.

Tharoor Urges a Measured but Strong Response

At the same time, Tharoor said India should not act in haste. Instead, it should wait and observe. If the US does not change its stance in the next three weeks, India must respond.

“We should impose the same rate if nothing changes in the next three weeks,” he stated outside Parliament.

He further said, “They (US) only used the word ‘reciprocal’. India does not have a policy of threats, so we should wait for three weeks, and then retaliate if nothing changes.”

Trump’s Tariffs Go Beyond Reciprocity

According to Tharoor, Trump's actions are not just about matching tariffs. He noted that India’s average tariff on US imports is only 17%, much lower than the 50% the US plans to impose.

Therefore, Tharoor suspects deeper political motives. “There seems to be some other hidden message from Washington. The government should respond after carefully understanding the situation,” he said.

Indian-Americans Must Speak Up

In addition, Tharoor urged the Indian-American community to speak out. He believes they can influence the US administration’s stance on India. As an example, he cited former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who recently asked Trump to put India’s interests ahead of China’s.

Tariffs Will Hurt Indian Exports

Finally, Tharoor warned that the tariffs would damage India’s economy. India exports around $90 billion worth of goods to the US annually. “If Indian goods get costlier by 50 per cent, then people in the US will also think before purchasing them,” he said.

Furthermore, Tharoor explained that this would give an advantage to India’s competitors like Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China, who can sell similar products at cheaper prices.