India is under escalating economic pressure from the US, while its regional rival Pakistan hails closer ties with Washington.
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to “substantially” raise tariffs on New Delhi, currently 25%, for buying Russian oil. India said it won’t stop its purchases, remaining defiant in the face of Trump’s threats.
The strategy contrasts with that of Pakistan, which landed a more favorable US tariff rate of 19%, in part because of Trump’s interest in the country’s oil reserves, but also because Islamabad “didn’t ruffle feathers on the geopolitical front,” an expert told Nikkei. Pakistan’s powerful army chief is personally courting Trump, The Economist wrote, reflecting a shift in US policy toward the region.
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