India cannot remain ‘mute spectator' as institutions like WTO are destroyed by Trump: Congress
'The rules-based, multilateral trading system put in place with the US itself playing a leadership role has been finished off,' Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. 'The US's approach now is to negotiate – if at all – bilaterally but finally decide unilaterally.'
He further accused Trump of gutting the World Health Organization and highlighted that the US under Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
'India has the highest stakes in such international accords and institutions,' Ramesh asserted.
The WTO had been dealt very heavy blows during Trump-I. It has been destroyed during Trump-II. The rules-based, multilateral trading system put in place with the US itself playing a leadership role has been finished off. The US's approach now is to negotiate--if at…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 1, 2025
Ramesh's comments on Friday came after Trump signed an executive order reimposing so-called reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries that have not negotiated separate trade agreements with it, including India.
On Wednesday, Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods imported from India. He added that India will also have to pay an unspecified ' penalty ' for buying a large portion of its military equipment and fuel from Russia amid the war on Ukraine.
While Friday was the deadline for the tariffs, they will come into effect only from August 7.
On Thursday, Trump said that he does not care about 'what India does with Russia' and that 'they can take their dead economies down together, for all I care'.
'We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world,' Trump said on social media. 'Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together.'
The tariffs have led to concerns of a broader trade war that could disrupt the global economy and trigger recession.
The World Trade Organization was established in 1995 with the aim to reduce barriers to global trade and encourage a sustainable model of development. It sets rules for global trade and arbitrates disputes when countries contend that the rules are not being followed.
However, since Trump announced his tariffs, critics have questioned the effectiveness of the Geneva-based organisation in regulating international trade.
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