New Delhi, April 17 -- We are living in an uncertain world after Donald Trump took over the US presidency. Within a short span of time, the world of international trade has turned topsy-turvy, with daily announcements of tariffs or threats. After Trump's 'reciprocal' tariff announcement on 2 April, country-specific tariffs have been paused till July for all countries except China. The stated objective of unilateral tariffs is to re-industrialize the US, whose industrial base has been hollowed out after decades of globalization and free trade.

While the US grumbles about manufacturing in countries like China, it has a particular problem with India's agricultural trade tariffs. This is clear from the annual US Trade Estimate Report for 202...