- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-17
Global Trade ‘Getting Weaponised’ Through Tariffs, Says Finance Minister Sitharaman
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday warned that global trade is increasingly being “weaponised” through tariffs and other measures, emphasizing that India must negotiate carefully while leveraging its economic strength to protect domestic industries.
Speaking at the Times Network’s India Economic Conclave 2025, Sitharaman stated, “Trade is getting weaponised through tariffs and many other measures, and India will have to negotiate its way carefully. It’s not just about tariffs — our overall economic strength will give us an added advantage.”
She highlighted that globally, trade is no longer free and fair. “India can be lectured for being inward-looking or called a ‘tariff king,’ but tariffs have been weaponised,” Sitharaman said, stressing that India’s intent was never to weaponise trade but to safeguard domestic industries from predatory practices.
The minister also pointed out that the current trend of imposing tariffs without criticism is becoming the new normal, citing recent high tariffs by the US and Mexico as examples.
Her remarks come amid rising concerns over international protectionism and the disruptive impact of tariff barriers on global trade flows.
