India, Feb. 3 -- When Washington recalibrates its trade policy, the ripple effects are felt far beyond American shores.

The recalibration arrived with a decisive shift in Asia's trade hierarchy.

A newly announced United States-India trade deal has lowered tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent, instantly repositioning New Delhi ahead of key regional competitors, including China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, in access to the world's largest consumer market.

Beyond the headline tariff cut, the deal alters comparative advantages across Asia at a moment when global supply chains are being reconfigured under political and economic pressure.

Under the agreement, the United States will reduce tariffs on Indian exports from an earlier combined lev...