‘India is a great power’: Economist Jeffrey Sachs slams Trump’s tariffs as ‘unconstitutional’

Famed economist Jeffrey Sachs on Trump tariffs

Renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs has cautioned that India stands to gain little in terms of security by aligning with the United States in the Quad against China.

Responding to President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 50 percent tariff on Indian imports, Sachs remarked that “U.S. politicians do not care about India” and emphasized that India, as a major global power, should carefully assess its strategic interests.

“US politicians don’t care at all about India. Please understand this. India is not going to reap long-term security by siding with the United States in the Quad against China. India is a great power that has an independent standing in the world. Everything that Trump is doing on tariffs is unconstitutional," Sachs said in an interview with Hindustan Times.

Sachs explained that India should not count on some great trade relationship with the US, even though New Delhi could reduce Washington's dependence on the Chinese supply chains.

“When I was in India in the spring, I said, don't count on some great trade relationship. What India has hoped for, I believe, is that it would be a good partner of the United States because it would be a way for the US to, I'll put it charitably, reduce its dependence on China and increase supply chains with India. I tried to explain, don't count on that,” said Sachs.

US President Donald Trump has imposed a 50 percent tariff and ruled out any trade negotiations with India until the issue is addressed. “No, not until we get it resolved," Trump said during remarks in the Oval Office on Thursday.

Pominent American Congressman Representative Gregory Meeks, a Democrat, meanwhile, said Trump’s latest ‘tariff tantrum’ risks years of careful work to build a stronger US-India partnership.

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has criticized President Donald Trump for jeopardizing decades of American efforts to shift India away from Russia and China, citing the steep tariffs imposed on India over its purchase of Russian oil.

Bolton has called out Trump's bias towards China over India and said it could be an "enormous mistake".