Donald Trump on January 20 took oath as new President of the United States at the US Parliament Capitol Hill. Donald Trump has become the 47th President of the US. Donald Trump's oath-taking ceremony was attended by not only global leaders but also billionaires and tech giants of the US and the world. After the oath, in a 30-minute speech, Donald Trump talked about imposing tariffs on other countries under the America First Policy. At the same time, he announced to recognize only male and female gender in America. Notably, Donald Trump's 30-minute speech raised many eyebrows around the world as it gave a brief idea of how Trump's policy will be in the future. Now, the question arises what does US President Donald Trump mean for India?
Highlights from Donald Trump's speech in 10 points
- Only 2 genders for the US government
- Promise to expel illegal immigrants
- Declaration of emergency on the Mexican border
- Threatened to take back the Panama Canal
- Announcement to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico
- Announcement to impose tariffs on other countries
- End of the mandatory use of electric vehicles in the US
- Criticism of the health system and education system
- Announcement to send astronauts to Mars
- Promise to implement the Foreign Enemies Act 1798
Donald Trump's decision impacts on India
1) Trump's immigration policy
In his, speech, Donald Trump talked about banning the entry of illegal immigrants into the country and ending the policy of catching illegal immigrants and leaving them at the border. He said, "The Biden administration has sheltered and protected dangerous criminals who enter our country illegally."
According to the Pew Research Center, America has the highest number of immigrants in the world. 20% of the world's total immigrants live in America. By 2023, the total number of immigrants living in the US was 4.78 crores. Trump believes that people from other countries enter America illegally and commit crimes.
As per MIP 2022 report, India comes on number 2 in terms of immigrants living in the US. In recent times, India's External Affairs Ministry has also flagged human trafficking of Indians from Canada into the US. For instance, around 50,000 Indian Students in Canada did not appear in their respective colleges and universities. It is said that many entered the US as illegal immigrant to search a better condition of life and livelihood.
Apart from this, after taking the office, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship in the United States. The executive order, signed Monday night, directs federal agencies to deny recognition of US citizenship for children born on American soil to parents who are in the country illegally or on temporary visas unless one parent is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. This may also impact Indians living in the US on temporary visa.
In the past, Trump has also expressed is stance against the H1B visa policy under his 'America First' policy.
2) 100 percent tariffs on BRICS nation including India
Donald Trump has continuously expressed to put a 100 percent tariff on BRICS nations that include India. This may increase tension on the bilateral relationship between India and the United States.
In his speech, Donald Trump said that till now our country's government used to impose tax on the people of our country to make other countries rich. We are going to change this, now we will impose tariffs and taxes on other countries to make the people of our country rich. Trump has said many times that America has to face a huge trade deficit with other countries every year. After winning the election, he also threatened to impose a 100% tariff on BRICS countries. Apart from this, he has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico.
3) India may gain more under US President Donald Trump
Liveminmt quoted an expert who outlined that India can benefit a lot from the US President Donald Trump. Countries like India, Vietnam, and Indonesia may gain as companies shift operations from China to take advantage of lower costs. "India, as a growing manufacturing hub, could see accelerated growth if trade barriers with China persist. However, nations like China and Japan—highly dependent on US exports—may struggle under continued tariffs and protectionist measures," Ross Maxwell, Global Strategy Operations Lead at VT Markets was quoted saying.