The Human Cost: Beyond Geopolitics, Tariffs Impact Livelihoods

Beyond the high-level geopolitics of the White House and the Kremlin, the 50% US tariffs now active against India have a real and immediate human cost, impacting the livelihoods of countless workers and small business owners.
For every headline about Exxon Mobil or Sakhalin-1, there are thousands of textile workers, artisans, and factory employees in India whose jobs are now at risk. These are the people who will bear the brunt of the trade dispute, facing layoffs and uncertainty as orders from the US dry up.
Similarly, on the American side, small businesses that rely on Indian imports to stock their shelves, and consumers who have benefited from affordable Indian goods, will now face higher prices. The tariffs are not just a tool of statecraft; they are a tax that will be felt in communities across both countries.
While leaders talk of strategic gambits and big deals, it is essential to remember that these decisions have profound consequences for ordinary people. The human cost of this trade war is a critical part of the story that is often overlooked in the geopolitical analysis.