US Trade Advisor Navarro’s Controversial Remarks on India’s Tariffs and Caste System

Peter Navarro, a White House Trade Advisor, has staunchly defended the US decision to impose a 50% tariff on goods from India. He directly accused Brahmins, a specific caste within India, of ‘profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.’ During an interview on Fox News, Navarro alleged that India serves as a ‘laundromat for the Kremlin,’ citing trade imbalances and alliances that oppose US interests. While acknowledging Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, Navarro questioned India’s relationships with Russia and China, stating it undermines India’s position as a leading democracy. He connected the high tariffs to the fact that India’s tariffs are the highest in the world, claiming that it impacts US workers, taxpayers, and Ukrainians. These comments come after a meeting between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit. Navarro’s comments come against the backdrop of criticism of the tariffs by a US Appeals Court, which ruled them illegal. He has previously accused India of benefitting from Russian oil.