In this episode of Interpreting India, Konark Bhandari engages with Peter Harrell, non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss the implications of U.S. trade policy under President Trump’s second term. They examine potential universal and reciprocal tariffs, the U.S.-India trade dynamic, and India's role in addressing Chinese overcapacity. The conversation explores how India's recent tariff reforms and EV policy efforts may factor into negotiations with the Trump White House.
Peter Harrell outlines the Trump administration's evolving approach to tariffs and their implications for U.S.-India trade relations. The discussion covers the impact of proposed reciprocal tariffs, which could significantly affect Indian exports, and explores opportunities for India to leverage cooperation with the U.S. on Chinese overcapacity as a strategic bargaining tool.
The conversation also delves into India’s EV policy aimed at attracting Tesla, its semiconductor supply chain challenges amid U.S. scrutiny of Chinese exports, and the potential for India to benefit from a collective tariff approach with the U.S. and the EU against Chinese overcapacity.
Episode Contributors
Peter Harrell is a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He also serves as an attorney advising companies and investors on international legal, regulatory, and geopolitical risks. As a member of Carnegie’s American Statecraft program, Harrell’s research focuses on issues of U.S. domestic economic competitiveness, trade policy, and the use of economic tools in U.S. foreign policy.
Konark Bhandari is a research fellow with the Technology and Society Program at Carnegie India, focusing on U.S.-India relations, trade policy, and emerging technologies.
Additional Readings
The U.S.–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) from 2022 to 2025: Assessment, Learnings, and the Way Forward by Rudra Chaudhuri and Konark Bhandari.
The Geopolitics of the Semiconductor Industry and India’s Place in It by Konark Bhandari.
Time to Reset the U.S. Trade Agenda by Peter Harrell.