‘Cut tariffs to zero & apologise to India’: US expert slams Trump’s tariff policy, calls Modi ‘pretty smart’ in global diplomacy

A leading American academic has urged President Donald Trump to roll back tariffs on India, cut them to zero, and even apologise to New Delhi, while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ability to balance ties with Washington, Moscow and Beijing.

Edward Price, professor at New York University, told ANI that India is a “deciding” force in shaping the 21st century and described the US-India partnership as “crucial.”

#WATCH | New York | “PM Modi is smart, he is playing his cards and is reminding the US that he has a choice…” says Edward Price, Adjunct Instructor, Centre for Global Affairs and Independent Analyst, School of Professional Studies, NYU, on the meeting between PM Modi, Xi… pic.twitter.com/r6fxGTZDfV

— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2025

He said he was surprised by Trump’s decision to impose tariffs at a time when Washington is already locked in competition with China and conflict with Russia.

“I consider the partnership between India and the US as the most crucial 21st-century partnership. This partnership will decide what happens between China and Russia. India has the deciding vote in the 21st century… I can’t for the life of me understand why the President of the US, in confrontation with China and in a war with Russia, then imposes 50% tariffs on India,” he said.

“We need to remove the 50% tariff on India and get it down to something far more reasonable, I suggest zero per cent and apologise,” he added.

He further said “President Trump has pushed PM Modi closer to Putin and Xi. I would not look at the compelling visuals that we saw; it is necessary that those three men will now always work together. PM Modi is smart, he is playing his cards and is reminding the US that he has a choice”

The US-India relationship has strengthened in recent years, including during Trump’s first term, given shared concerns about China’s growing power, but Trump threatened the tariffs on India after it refused to stop buying Russian oil in defiance of his efforts to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

In China, in an image designed to convey solidarity, Putin and Modi were shown holding hands as they walked jovially toward Xi before the summit opened. The three men stood shoulder-to-shoulder, laughing and surrounded by interpreters.

Beijing has used the summit to mend ties with New Delhi. Modi, visiting China for the first time in seven years, and Xi agreed on Sunday their countries are development partners, not rivals, and discussed ways to improve trade.

The US State Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the meetings in China.

With inputs from agencies