CHICAGO, Ill. — Eminent Indian American physician and community leader Dr Bharat Barai has warned that India–U.S. relations could remain strained unless Washington reverses recent tariff measures, arguing that New Delhi has been unfairly targeted amid broader global trade and energy dynamics.
In an interview, Dr Barai said momentum built in bilateral ties across several administrations has weakened since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, particularly due to trade actions he described as politically driven rather than grounded in sound economics.
He acknowledged that the United States runs a trade deficit with India but said addressing it should have followed a more measured approach. “Doing X amount of tariffs purely on economic grounds to remove the trade deficit will be one thing, and they impose 25 per cent that so-called reciprocal duty to wipe out the trade deficit,” he said, adding that the rate should have been lower, “more like 15 per cent or so.”
Dr Barai was especially critical of the additional 25 per cent duty imposed as a penalty linked to India’s imports of Russian oil. While condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine, he said India had become “a sort of innocent bystander casualty” in a policy he described as inconsistent.
“China is importing more oil than India, but China has a Trump card, and their Trump card is the rare earth metals,” he said, noting U.S. and European dependence on Chinese rare earths for electric vehicles, defense equipment and advanced aircraft. He also pointed out that several European countries continue to import Russian energy without facing comparable penalties.
“So why single out India with 25 per cent additional import duty when China is only at 47 per cent? Most European countries are around 15 per cent. There is no extra duty on Hungary or Slovenia for continuing to import Russian oil,” he said.
Dr Barai attributed the tariff decisions to a small group within the administration, naming President Trump, immigration hardliner Stephen Miller and trade adviser Peter Navarro as key drivers of the policy. He said many lawmakers privately disagreed but were reluctant to speak publicly.
“Many congressmen and senators are very unhappy about it in private when they have a conversation. They do admit that this is wrong, but they all are afraid that President Trump will try to take revenge on them,” he said, adding that fear of primary challenges has kept them silent.
He said recent electoral outcomes in states such as New Jersey and Virginia, as well as a mayoral election in Miami, reflected growing public discontent. “His policies are becoming very unpopular. They are totally arbitrary, made up by three people sitting in the Oval Office rather than the United States Congress,” Dr Barai said, expressing hope that the Supreme Court would eventually rule that tariffs fall under Congress’s authority.
Looking ahead, Dr Barai said bilateral relations could remain frozen unless a trade agreement removes the additional duty. He noted that some Indian companies, including Reliance, have reduced Russian oil imports following sanctions on specific Russian firms, but said India cannot completely abandon a major energy source.
“For India, serving the population of 1.4 billion, wherever they can find a reliable source and cheaper source of energy, it is important,” he said, adding that India sources only about 35 per cent of its oil from Russia while diversifying supplies from the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Dr Barai said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is acting in India’s national interest and has handled pressure from Washington “very diplomatically, very politely, very gentlemanly,” without yielding to it. “He is doing what is best for the people of India,” he said.
He also argued that India’s global standing has strengthened over the past year, citing closer ties with Europe, a free trade agreement with the UK, stronger engagement with Africa, and a recent defense pact with Australia. “India is respected more than before, except maybe in the United States,” he said. (Source: IANS)
