REFRAMING TARIFF WARS FROM AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE: STRATEGIC AUTONOMY, DEVELOPMENTAL PROTECTIONISM, AND THE CRISIS OF GLOBAL TRADE GOVERNANCE

Abstract

The resurgence of tariff wars represents a fundamental shift in the global trading system from cooperative multilateralism toward competitive economic nationalism. While dominant economies increasingly deploy tariffs as tools of strategic coercion, emerging economies like India face the challenge of safeguarding domestic development without undermining global integration. This article argues that India’s response to tariff wars reflects a distinct model of developmental protectionism embedded in strategic autonomy. Rather than engaging in aggressive retaliation, India adopts calibrated tariff measures aimed at industrial capacity-building, supply-chain resilience, and preservation of policy space. By critically engaging classical trade theory, contemporary political economy debates, and India’s evolving tariff strategy, the study situates tariff wars as symptoms of a deeper crisis in global trade governance. The article contributes to international political economy literature by theorizing India as a norm-shaping actor navigating a fragmented global trade order.

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