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Weaponized tariffs: Ajay Bhutoria slams steep levies on India
He called the policy “a weaponization of trade” that will harm American consumers and disrupt vital U.S.-India relations.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 06, Aug 2025
- 17:04 EDT
- 25
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Donald Trump and Ajay Bhutoria / Wikipedia/File Photo
Indian American community leader and former Biden advisor Ajay Jain Bhutoria criticized President Donald Trump’s Aug. 6 announcement to impose additional tariffs on Indian imports.
He called the policy “a weaponization of trade” that will harm American consumers and disrupt vital U.S.-India relations. “We must work through these challenges together, not through divisive tariffs that hurt both nations,” Bhutoria said.
Also Read: India says additional US tariffs 'extremely unfortunate'
“As an Indian American and a committed Democrat, I strongly oppose President Trump’s decision,” Bhutoria added. “This policy will hurt American consumers, particularly South Asian Americans, by driving up costs for essentials like medicines, groceries, and cultural goods vital to our community.”
Bhutoria warned that the tariffs would lead to significant price hikes, noting that India supplies nearly half of America’s affordable generic drugs. “These tariffs will inflate prescription prices, hitting families, seniors, and small businesses hard,” he said. He specifically highlighted that the cost of everyday goods—such as spices, lentils, and even festive wear like Diwali clothing—could also rise sharply.
The democrat also warned that Indian American businesses will experience increased supply chain costs, which could potentially threaten jobs, and pointed to the possibility of retaliatory tariffs from India on U.S. agriculture and steel. He referred to this as a "lose-lose scenario" for the U.S.
Criticizing what he described as a “double standard,” Bhutoria noted that the Trump administration granted China a 90-day tariff pause while targeting India, “a key democratic ally.” He warned that the move could jeopardize the $186 billion U.S.-India trade relationship and hinder efforts to expand it to $500 billion by 2030.
Trump’s executive order, signed Aug. 6, imposes an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods starting Aug. 28, citing New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
The new duties, which raise tariffs on certain Indian exports to 50 percent, have drawn sharp criticism in diplomatic and trade circles, with India’s Ministry of External Affairs calling the move “extremely unfortunate.”
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