‘Trump’s rates on India Stupid’: the American economist Jeffrey Sachs becomes Bot – his most important message for New Delhi – Times of India

The rate decisions of US President Donald Trump can harm the US more than good, the famous economist and professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University told Ani.In a sharp attack on Trump’s tariff policy, he mentioned these tasks as a pressure tactics for New Delhi and warned about risking years of progress in bilateral relations.In an interview with Ani, Sachs further described Trump’s rate decisions as ‘bizarre’ and ‘very self -destructive for the interests of foreign policy’.“It is a shocking level of incompetence. I see incompetence in the US government, I am never surprised, but I would say that this has achieved this level that I must admit that I was actually surprising,” he noticed, in response to Trump’s movement to impose 25% secondary rates on Indian goods.“Attracting the surcharge on India was stupid, as could be of every standard. It has no purpose.”Trump announced for the first time the 25% rates in July, even when the hope of an interim trade agreement between India and the US was alive. Days later he doubled them to 50%, referring to the continuous import of India of Russian oil.Sachs warned that the rates could experience serious legal obstacles. “… rates are wrong because they are destructive to the US economy. It violates international law. It is a breakdown of our political system in the United States. We have a constitution. We have no rule of one person,” he said, pointing to the powers of the US Congress under Article I, section 8 of the Constitution.“There is actually a lawsuit in the American Court of Appeal, which says that Trump has violated the law by imposing these rates. There is a real possibility that the entire rate regime of Trump will be considered, as it should be, unconstitutional,” he said Ani.The economist also emphasized that both economically and geopolitically Trump’s tariff policy is “doomed to fail”.

Is Trump really after Russian oil, or something else?Sachs did not stop his criticism of the American approach under President Trump.“First of all, President Trump is Waan performances. He thinks he can set requirements and that others will join,” he said. According to him, the US has exerted dominant power for so long that it now assumes that it can “boss around any other part of the world.”Sachs turns to the conflict of Russia and Ukraine, noted Sachs: “Trump thinks he can dictate the conditions of peace.” He continued and added: “This war was created because the US tried to ban NATO and overcome a Ukrainian government in 2014 for that purpose of NATO expansion. It is a long -term strategy, a reckless and failed and failed. It should not be a little bit of politically enough or deducted enough to be a bit of a bit of worry. So he beats up and tries to beat India. ‘He also underlined deeper geopolitical tensions. “There is a third part,” he noticed, “the real animus of the US is opposite Russia, China, India and Brazil and South Africa.”Why hate Trump Brics?“They (rates) will not improve the American economy. They will insulate the United States. They will strengthen the BRICs and other groups …” he said.Sachs emphasized Trump’s attitude towards Bric’s and said: “Trump hates the BRICs. Why? Because they get up and say to the US, you don’t run the world. The world is Multipolar and we want to work with you, but we don’t want you to run the world. President Lula summarized the best. He said: we don’t want an emperor. This is actually the point. Trump thinks he is a emperor, “he told Ani.India – Get deep breathSachs praised the calm response of the government about India’s strategy. “India is right. Take a deep breath. Do nothing dramatic. Don’t become too vituperative. Personally, I would do exactly what Premier Modi does. He flies to meet President Xi Jinping. He meets President Putin. He meets President Lula. “He added: “By the way, those are the real partners of India.India-US BTA conversationsThe conversations between India and the US about a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) started in March of this year, whereby both parties want to conclude the first phase in October-November 2025. Washington has insisted on greater access to Indian agricultural and dairy markets, sectors that offer millions for millions.In the meantime, Trump has implemented a broader rate policy. On April 2, 2025, he signed an executive order at mutual rates, which means that the tasks ranging from 10 to 50% on different trading partners. Although initially 90 days in anticipation, with a basic line rate of 10%, the deadline was extended until 1 August. India was hit with higher rates just before the deadline.Responding to developments, the Minister of Trade and the Piyush Goyal industry said earlier this month that the government carefully assessed the impact of American rates. He said that India “will take all the necessary steps to protect the national interest.”