India can't beat Trump on tariffs, so it must drop its own trade walls

The only way to improve farmers' fortunes is by increasing productivity, not condemning them to penury in the name of protection

Never in recent history have we come across instances where tariffs are used blatantly as a weapon of subjugation and a threat to national sovereignty in calibrating domestic policies, as United States President Donald Trump has done to establish his hegemony. While applying sanctions to target unfriendly regimes has become a practice, the use of tariffs as a strategic weapon at this scale is alarming. 

Mr Trump has used his dictates on tariff rates not just as a protectionist measure but also as a strategic weapon to determine from whom countries should trade and transact. Increasing