Tariff Blackmail? Trump Drags BRICS To The Table With 180-Day Ultimatum – India Caught Balancing Trade, Dollar Exit & U.S. Heat

As Trump’s 180-day tariff threat sends shockwaves through BRICS, India finds itself caught between Washington’s demands and its own ambitions to de-dollarise trade.

File photo: Reuters

Washington: Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy, long derided by economists and global trade veterans, has reached a turning point. As the clock wound down to his self-imposed August 1 tariff deadline, the U.S. president saw a cascade of trade agreements roll in, confirming what his team saw as vindication of his combative trade approach.

Markets and foreign governments scrambled for months in response to his barrage of unpredictable trade threats. Wall Street flinched, allies hesitated and negotiators misread the signals. Still, Trump held firm. He believed in American leverage only. And in his view, that leverage was unrivaled.

A White House official summed it to CNN, “Maybe the losers and haters were really just losers and haters.”

Trump’s strategy hinged on the singular power of the U.S. market. He was ready to impose tariffs, escalate and ready to call bluffs. “The dynamic starts to shift pretty dramatically when you realise your counterpart is willing to shoot the hostage,” an EU official told the American media outlet.

Over the past week, bilateral deals with major trading partners began to stack up, tariff revenue climbed, financial markets steadied, stocks hovered near record highs, inflation fears did not materialise and the broader economy held strong.

Trump’s inner circle, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and top trade advisers Peter Navarro and Howard Lutnick, took a different stance from Trump’s first-term team. This time, there was no internal resistance. Trump set the course. His team followed.

In public and behind closed doors, he made the final calls. Draft agreements were sent back repeatedly with sharpie edits. Japanese officials reportedly agreed to hike their investment offer by $100 billion during one Oval Office meeting.

Stephen Miran, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said most critics missed the big picture. Speaking at a Washington event, he dismissed widespread warnings from economists. “They are wrong,” he said.

He explained that the global trade system failed to account for the advantage others gained from U.S. security and economic stability. The administration viewed tariffs not as punishment, but as leverage. “They failed to appreciate the amount of leverage that the United States has,” he told CNN.

In the aftermath of Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement in April, U.S. trade officials were flooded with offers from countries seeking exemptions. But the president wanted more. Several proposals were rejected, talks dragged and deals were delayed. He was not interested in half-measures.

Even corporate America fell in line. Executives feared public pushback. One told CNN it became a matter of survival: “The cost benefit of putting a target on your back with this particular administration simply does not net out in your favour.”

Trump’s trade campaign has not been without pain. China remains a looming threat, consumer prices are starting to reflect the impact and the Federal Reserve is cautious about long-term effects. But for now, Trump’s team is claiming success.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill is passed, and the trade deals are settling. The uncertainty concerning many is resolving,” Miran said.

With new market access, steep tariffs still in place and hundreds of billions committed to U.S. purchases and investments, Trump’s leverage-first trade doctrine is no longer a theory. It is policy in motion.