US President Donald Trump’s tariff war has the potential to fundamentally reshape the global economic order, even as it threatens to produce severe consequences for the emerging middle class and marginalized populations across the world.
This was the central concern echoed by a panel of experts during a roundtable discussion titled “Trump’s Tariff Hike: The Big Picture & Implications for India”, organised by the Centre for Advanced Studies in Social Science and Management (CASSM) at the CU-IDC Chandigarh campus.
The discussion pointed to how the ongoing tariff confrontations are disrupting global supply chains, distorting comparative advantages, and generating deep uncertainty across international markets. For India, the evolving scenario offers both opportunities and challenges—from the need to recalibrate its trade negotiations with the United States to aligning strategically amid rising global protectionism and inflationary pressure.
Prof Pramod Kumar, Chairperson of the Institute for Development and Communication (IDC), questioned whether a nuanced tariff regime could enable more equitable income redistribution, rather than merely enforcing reciprocal tariffs between the Global North and South. “What political consequences will this have for the emerging middle class, the rural poor, and working populations? These are the real questions,” he said.
Calling the tariff hike a “broader strategy to reshape the US economy,” journalist and commentator Rajesh Mahapatra argued that Trump’s economic nationalism undermines the American dream. “It threatens a consumption-focused, debt-eligible middle class, a vibrant democracy, and the very notion of America as a global superpower,” he said.
According to Prof J.S. Bedi of IDC, Trump’s tariff war is set to redefine global comparative advantage with significant geopolitical consequences. “The shift in cost structures and geopolitical alignments will reorient supply chains toward Europe, South and Southeast Asia, China, Brazil, and Russia,” he said, adding that the resulting shifts will present new challenges as well as fresh opportunities for countries like India.
Prof Sunil Kumar Sinha cautioned that the trade wars could stunt global growth, fuel inflation, and create long-term instability in international markets.
Story continues below this ad
Critiquing the idea of a so-called liberal global order, Prof Abhijit Das argued that the United States has long acted as a protectionist and interventionist power. He questioned the actual benefits of reciprocal tariffs for India and placed Indo-U.S. trade negotiations within the context of a tightening global trade regime.
Echoing this critique, Prof Atul Sood said the tariff hike aligns with a global trend of economic nationalism, marked increasingly by militaristic assertions in trade policy. “Such protectionist measures are exclusionary and structurally disadvantageous for emerging economies like India, which face limited negotiating leverage and growing exposure to a polarized economic order,” he noted.
The roundtable saw wide participation from academics, journalists, policymakers, and students. Professors Ronki Ram, B.S. Ghuman, Ashutosh, Manjeet Singh, H.S. Shergill, and Baljit Balli were among those present, affirming CASSM’s commitment to critical inquiry into contemporary global issues.
