The Trump administration is rewriting the American sanctions playbook, expanding its strategy to directly target the allies of its adversaries. The proposal for the US and EU to impose 100% tariffs on India and China is the boldest application yet of this new doctrine, which aims to isolate rogue states by creating a network of secondary economic pressure.
This move goes far beyond traditional sanctions, which are typically aimed at the adversary itself. By targeting India and China for their relationship with Russia, the US is attempting to enforce its foreign policy objectives on third-party nations, a controversial and potentially destabilizing approach.
The plan was unveiled to EU officials in Washington as a necessary tool to end the war in Ukraine, which has resisted more conventional forms of pressure. The White House has made it clear that it views this as a joint mission with Europe, seeking to build a broad coalition behind this new sanctions doctrine.
However, this expansion of the sanctions playbook is on shaky legal ground. The US Supreme Court is set to rule on whether the president even has the authority to use tariffs in this way. A loss in court would not only be a financial blow but would also represent a major rebuke of this new, more aggressive approach to economic statecraft.