"Big In 2025, Less Of A Story In 2026": Ian Bremmer To NDTV On US Tariffs

The tariff hike by the US might have been one of the big headline grabbing controversies of 2025, but it will be tapering off this year, Ian Bremmer, the chief of the Eurasia Group has indicated. In an exclusive interview with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief and CEO Rahul Kanwal, Bremmer said while it is a "Big story in 2025, it is less of a story in 2026" while remaining "meaningful".

Asked why he thinks tariffs will be "overstated" in 2026, Bremmer said while US President Donald Trump "keeps adding things to the deal after you think it is done," his administration knows that "affordability is a big issue in the US, and they know that tariffs are a component of that... So there is more incentive to get the deals done quickly".

Summing up the backdrop, he said: "The (US) Supreme Court is going to have the IEPA ruling, which will probably constrain Trump's tariff capacity as the president to a degree. And he got hit back by the Chinese. So tariffs was the big, big story in 2025. It is less of a story in 2026. It is still meaningful".

Given the historically high numbers - though less than 2025 - Trump is turning to Donroe doctrine "with much more enthusiasm, as we see in the coming months".

"And also, this is linked to the US-China detente, which we think will be more stable this year," he added.

The US had imposed 50 per cent tariff on India last year -- half over its import of Russian oil and half as reciprocal tariff. The hike had been one of the steepest in the world, while other buyers of Russian oil, including  China, have so far escaped such measures.

Earlier today, President Trump had remarked while he has a very good relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "He's not that happy with me because you know they're paying a lot of tariffs now because they're not doing the oil, but they are, they've now reduced it very substantially, as you know, from Russia".