America shouldn't have imposed tariffs on India over its exports of oil from Russia, a survey by a US-based think tank found.
While 53 percent of respondents said the move was wrong, 43 percent were for it, the survey by the Democracy Institute showed.
US President Donald Trump last week ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil, opening a new front in his trade wars. Trump's additional 25-percent tariff on Indian goods, set to come into place in three weeks, stacks atop a separate 25-percent duty. This takes the level to 50 percent for many products - among the highest on any American trading partner.
"Given American voters' strong support for protectionist tariffs in principle, that's a surprising response," said Patrick Basham, founding director of the Democracy Institute and its lead pollster.
The respondents were evenly divided (44% to 44%) on the question of whether Trump's new tariffs were good for America.
Mr Basham noted that, "Although Americans remain steadfast in their support of Trump's tariffs as an instrument of industrial policy, they are unimpressed by his increasing use of tariffs to leverage geopolitical decisions on his allies."
A majority (53 percent) of the sample also said that they cared about America's image in front of the Indian government and the people.
Earlier, Trump had remarked that India was a "dead economy" and that he didn't care how New Delhi dealt with Moscow.
"I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care," Trump had said in a social media post on August 3.
After imposing the staggering 50 per cent duty, Trump ruled out any trade talks between the two countries until the tariff issue was resolved. "No, not until we get it resolved," Trump said in the Oval Office in response to a question on whether he expects more trade negotiations with India after doubling the tariffs on Indian imports to 50 per cent.
An overwhelming number (64%) of the respondents believed that India's growing economic influence globally was a "good thing".
Prime Minister Modi was perceived as leading a successful government and a reliable ally, according to the survey. A large majority (59 percent to 38 percent) of the respondents said that PM Modi's leadership was good for America.
The only negative response, as far as India is concerned, was over a question on the H-1B visa. More than 60 percent supported ending the H-1B professional visa programme that currently sees lakhs of highly skilled Indians employed in American businesses.
"The argument that H1-B visas prioritise foreigners, especially Indians, over American workers, and thereby take jobs away from Americans, resonates very strongly with the American people," observed Mr Basham.
The telephone survey was conducted among 1,500 likely American voters between August 3 and August 5.
The government today said that nearly 55 percent of India's merchandise exports to the US will be subject to the tariff imposed by the Trump administration.
"The Department of Commerce is engaged with all stakeholders, including exporters and industry, for taking feedback of their assessment of the situation," Pankaj Chaudhary, junior finance minister, said in a written response.
The Ministry of External Affairs hit back at the US for targeting it over Russian oil imports, terming the move "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable".
