Sinica Podcast Trump's India Tariff Tirade: A Gift to Beijing? With Evan Feigenbaum
Aug 27, 2025
Evan Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, shares his insights into the U.S.-India relationship amid Trump's recent tariffs on Indian goods. He discusses the shifting geopolitical landscape and the ramifications for both India and China. The conversation dives into the complexities of trade tensions, India's strategic positioning in the Indo-Pacific, and how these dynamics may alter future alliances. Evan's expertise sheds light on the competing influences shaping regional stability.
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How The Partnership Was Built
- The U.S.-India partnership overcame Cold War overhang, economic gaps, and nuclear sanctions to become strategic by 2008.
- Creating exceptions (nuclear deal) and political risk-taking on both sides were key to building trust.
Trust Unraveled By Recent Actions
- Recent U.S. actions, especially tariffs and outreach to Pakistan, have repoliticized the U.S.-India relationship.
- This politicization has eroded longstanding trust and undone efforts to depoliticize the partnership.
Tariffs Without Logic
- Tariffs have been applied inconsistently and used as a tool unrelated to trade logic, producing Indian perceptions of hypocrisy.
- Inconsistency and lack of predictable rules undermine bilateral negotiations and trust.
