India, Aug. 1 -- US President Donald Trump, in an executive order dated July 31, announced imposing an additional 25% tariff on all Indian imports, on grounds of national emergency and lack of reciprocity. Trump has also said that he would impose an undetermined "penalty" on India for buying oil and weapons from Russia. This latest measure is further evidence of the complete derision with which the Trump administration deals with its partners and with international law. Insulting a partner's economy by calling it "dead", as Trump has done with India, undermines the cardinal principles of mutual respect and sovereign equality that are fundamental to international relations.

It is worth noting that India and the US have been negotiating a ...