Trump’s tariff war puts US brand globally 'in the toilet' and pushes India closer to China: Jake Sullivan
Jake Sullivan criticizes Donald Trump's trade offensive against India, warning it could damage US-India relations and push India closer to China. Trump's tariffs, imposed in response to India's Russian oil imports, have strained ties and prompted India to seek closer relations with Beijing.
Former US national security advisor Jake Sullivan has launched a sharp attack on Donald Trump’s latest trade move against India, warning that the “massive trade offensive” risks undoing years of work to bring New Delhi closer to Washington – and instead pushing it into Beijing’s orbit.
Speaking on The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller, Sullivan accused Trump of turning America into a “big disruptor” in the eyes of its allies. He said that while Washington was once seen as a steady hand, it is now viewed as unreliable, even as China gains credibility.
“When I go to these places now and I talk to leaders, they are talking about derisking from the United States,” Sullivan said. “They now see the US as the big disruptor, the country that can’t be counted on. China has moved ahead of the United States in popularity in a whole lot of countries… the American brand globally is in the toilet.”
The thaw in India-China relations carries significant consequences for the US, which had spent decades under successive administrations cultivating New Delhi as a counterbalance to China’s rise. That strategy was disrupted when Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian exports over its Russian oil imports, a sudden move that startled Modi’s government.
Henry Wang, president of the Center for China and Globalization think tank in Beijing, said relations between India and China are in an “up cycle,” and as leaders of the Global South, “they have to really speak to each other.”
“Trump’s tariff war on India has made India realize that they have to maintain some kind of strategic autonomy and strategic independence,” he said.
This month, China eased curbs on urea shipments to India — the world’s largest importer of the fertilizer.
Although initial volumes are small, the trade could expand, easing global shortages and prices. China relaxed the ban in June but had maintained restrictions on India until now.
Sullivan pointed to India as the clearest example of Trump’s missteps. Washington, he said, had worked on a bipartisan basis to build a strategic partnership with New Delhi, particularly to counter China’s growing influence. But Trump’s sudden tariff hikes have strained those efforts.
“Take a look at India,” Sullivan said. “Here’s a country we were trying to build a deeper and more sustainable relationship with. Now you have got President Trump executing a massive trade offensive against them and the Indians are saying, ‘Well, I guess maybe we have to go show up in Beijing and sit with the Chinese because we’ve got to hedge against America.’”
Evan A. Feigenbaum, a former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia under George W. Bush, had earlier this month written on how the India-US foundation is now under serious strain. Writing in Emissary, Carnegie’s publication on global affairs, Feigenbaum says Donald Trump’s recent moves could unravel twenty-five years of work.
The US-India relationship, once touted as a cornerstone of global democratic cooperation, is beginning to look fragile. And it’s not because of a war or a failed summit. It’s because of tariffs, tweets, and what one expert calls a toxic blend of “blunt coercion,” “gross interference,” and “a cynical effort to ‘blame India’.”
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Feigenbaum had warned that Donald Trump is “in the process of dismantling” the very relationship that US diplomats, Indian leaders, and multiple administrations painstakingly built since the early 2000s.
Economic impact of tariffs
The critique comes days after the US imposed a steep 50% tariff on Indian exports, effective August 27. The duties – the highest levied against any country – are set to hit Indian sectors like textiles, jewellery, and mechanical appliances, raising fears of lost jobs and slower growth.
Trump defended the decision as retaliation for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. However, analysts say the trigger may be more personal. A report by investment banking firm Jefferies suggested the escalation stems partly from Trump’s anger over not being allowed to mediate in the India-Pakistan conflict earlier this year. Agricultural disputes between the two nations have also deepened the rift.
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America’s mistake with PM Modi is making trade personal
For Sullivan, the damage goes beyond economics. He argued that Trump’s actions hand China a diplomatic victory, with Beijing now able to present itself as a more responsible player on the global stage.
“One year ago, China was on the defensive,” Sullivan said. “Now, countries are basically saying the US can’t be counted on, and China is looking like the adult in the room.”
More criticism from Washington
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has also intensified his attack on India’s oil policy, saying New Delhi is fuelling Russia’s war in Ukraine. Speaking to Bloomberg Television, he declared, “India is helping feed the Russian war machine. I mean Modi’s war, because the road to peace runs, in part, through New Delhi.”
He accused India of profiting at the expense of American consumers by purchasing discounted Russian crude. Linking tariffs directly to energy policy, he said, “It’s real easy. India can get 25 per cent off tomorrow if it stops buying Russian oil and helps to feed the war machine.”
Navarro had earlier called India the “maharaja of tariffs” and described its refiners as a “laundromat for the Kremlin”.
Earlier this month, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had also criticised India’s imports. Speaking to CNBC, he said, “They are just profiteering. They are reselling. This is what I would call the Indian arbitrage — buying cheap Russian oil, reselling it as product. They’ve made $16 billion in excess profits — some of the richest families in India.”
Recently, Bessent told Fox Business that despite the disputes, ties between leaders remain intact. “I do think India is the world’s largest democracy and the US is the world’s largest economy.”
On July 31, Trump had described India and Russia as “dead economies” and signalled that penalties could rise further.
On August 5, Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, added, “What he (Trump) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia.” He told Fox News, “People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That’s an astonishing fact.”
