United States economist Jeffrey Sachs slammed US President Donald Trump's additional tariffs on India, calling them “the stupidest tactical move”.
“The imposition of thee 25 per cent penalty tariff on India was the stupidest tactical move from US foreign policy for a long time....and that's saying a lot by the way,” Sachs said in an interview with Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti on the Breaking Points show.
Sachs highlighted that the tariffs had resulted in deteriorated diplomatic relations between the US and India, one that had been cultivated for years. The economist further said that the Indians had learned their lesson that they could not trust the US.
“Going after India, a country that the US has been cultivating for strategic and diplomatic relations, and Trump ended it overnight. Because by the way, even if this 25 per cent penalty is removed, and I think it probably will be, the Indians learned a lesson that I was trying to tell them for years, you cannot trust the United States,” Sachs said.
Trump was the great unifier for BRICS, says Sachs
Sachs said that Trump had been the “great unifier” for the BRICS countries. The BRICS is a forum for cooperation among a group of emerging economies. It includes ten countries – Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russian Federation, South Africa, United Arab Emirates.
{{/usCountry}}Sachs said that Trump had been the “great unifier” for the BRICS countries. The BRICS is a forum for cooperation among a group of emerging economies. It includes ten countries – Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russian Federation, South Africa, United Arab Emirates.
{{/usCountry}}“What it (additional tariffs) did overnight was unify the BRICS countries as never before. Within 24-48 hours there was a flurry of calls – Brazil with India, Brazil with Russia, Brazil with China, China with India, China with Russia. Donald Trump was the great unifier of the BRICS,” Sachs said.
The economist said that Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham and the US President's trade adviser Peter Navarro had unified the BRICS countries.
“There is no ability to have a trusting relationship with the US. This is improv land and you are not gonna get the kind of relationship that you think. Everybody in India understands that,” Sachs said.