Trump’s Tariffs Shock India, With New Delhi Weighing Its Options
The White House's abrupt move to double duties on Indian goods over its Russian oil purchases came with little warning and no clear path forward.
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Mission
The India Program at the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) aims to be the leading, influential voice on the international implications of India’s energy transition. The program will provide decision makers outside India, particularly those in the United States, with independent and policy-relevant analysis and solutions to constructively engage with the country in pursuit of shared energy, climate, and development goals. While global in outlook, the program will draw upon domestic policy developments in India and their underlying political and economic factors to connect decision makers in the country with their counterparts abroad.
Program Goals
Context
While India’s energy transition will depend on domestic energy and climate policy, more international finance and technology is needed for the country to successfully undertake this transition. This occurs amid a backdrop of India’s own geopolitical aspirations as a rising power and a fragmenting global order. Among emerging markets and developing countries, the country is unique for its size, complexity and diversity. The world’s most populous country sits among the largest consumers and producers of energy. However, per capita emissions and energy consumption remain far below global averages, and its historical contribution to climate change is well behind its economic peers. Much of what in the country will consume energy and emit greenhouse gasses has yet to be built. Consequently, meeting the world’s mitigation goals to avert the worst of climate change hinges upon India’s energy transition. How the country meets its energy needs to fuel its economic aspirations while doing so sustainably will require new models of development and energy policies not before taken at India’s size and scale.
Research Themes
In line with CGEP’s broader research themes, the program will address three intersecting areas:
US tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil may stem more from frustrations in US-India trade negotiations than from a concern about funding Russia’s war in Ukraine.
President Trump’s threat to double tariffs on Indian goods, to 50%, as punishment for the country’s continued purchase of Russian oil, puts India in an untenable position. The...
En route back to NYC now following a fascinating and very productive week in India with the Center on Global Energy Policy India program, led by Shayak Sengupta, and our colleagues Trevor Sutton and Dave Turk.