FOR record, United States President Mr. Donald Trump imposed 100% tariff on imported branded pharmaceutical drugs in order to promote his ‘Make America Great Again (MAGA)’ concept. On ground of reality, however, it would be American consumer to be hit hard by the increase in prices of pharma products. Called the pharmacy of the world, India will be one of the countries to take a beating in this regard. But experts insist that Indian pharma industry manufacturing generic medicines would not be hit as hard as some sections may try to project. In sum and substance, it is obvious that most of Mr. Trump’s recent moves appear to go against the interest of the average American consumer of all the items -- including medicines -- since it would be him who would have to shell out money ultimately to purchase things coming into US from other countries.

 

Of course, it would be foolhardy to deny that Indian pharma industry would not be hit at all. There would be some impact on the output of Indian pharma industry. Yet, as experts insist, that impact would be only minimal and Indian industry would be able to bear that setback. The same story, so to say, happened with Mr. Trump’s 50% tariff on all Indian goods going into the US market ! There certainly some concessions, as well, for Indian pharmaceutical companies if they have already initiated the process of setting up their own plants in the US. This also has only a cosmetic importance. For, even if Indian -- or any other -- companies decide to set up their own plants in the US, the process would take at least 3-4 years (during which the American consumer would keep suffering). True, the world is not going to take such American pranks lightly.

 

Expressing the interests of what has come to be called Global South, India has already started urging all nations to start looking for multiple markets for their products instead of relying only on one or two countries’ markets. In other words, the world is learning its lessons quickly and is beginning to find effective response to America’s economic hooliganism. Thus, in the next some time, most nations would find their way around the American obstacles and keep going. It is clear that the US Administration under Mr. Donald Trump does not seem to have given a deep thought to the mechanism of heightened tariffs on various imports. For, if it had thought deeply, it would have arrived at a decision to avoid initiating tariff war in the world.

 

There is enough ground for the world to wonder if the American public feels cheated by Mr. Trump’s method and manner. True, Mr. Trump does have his own popular base, all right. Yet, if he continues indulging in such half-baked measures, then he would not serve his own political goals either in the long run. It is not fathomable how far and deep Mr. Trump’s bravado would make him travel. In time, he may come out with some other measures that would bring credit to no one and money not even to himself (the US). On paper, America’s current economic condition is sound. On ground of reality, however, the US is going to find it tough to pay its own debt that runs into trillions of dollars. So, Mr. Trump’s moves are more likely to add trouble to the American kitty rather than sensible economic solutions to its real issues. The world has understood this well -- which reflected in the global leaders’ speeches at the recent United Nations General Assembly session. Many leaders showed Mr. Trump the mirror of reality.