Mint Quick Edit | Trump’s tactical rant: Don’t let it work
The absurdity of Donald Trump referring to India’s economy as “dead” in a social media post, clubbing India with Russia for this diagnosis, seems to reveal some exasperation in the White House. The US president’s apparent fury need not bother us.
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If anything, we could take it as an endorsement of India’s trade position, which has not yielded so far to unreasonable demands even as other US trade partners have settled for raw deals.
As if to dismiss Trump’s description of our economy, commerce minister Piyush Goyal pointed out in Parliament on Thursday that it was seen as a bright spot in the world by international agencies and would soon be the third largest by size.
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Goyal also made it clear that India will do what it must to safeguard its national interest. By setting the record straight and displaying poise, India has shown maturity and signalled that it won’t get rattled.
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As trade talks with the US have not been suspended, Trump’s language seems like a pressure tactic. But New Delhi must hold firm in its quest for a deal that’s fair and well balanced. A near-term setback in US-bound exports may be better than inking a bad agreement that locks us in, even if it makes Trump rant.
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