New Delhi, June 15 -- tariffs would stay at their negotiated level through November 10, 2026, and both governments would use the year to reach something more durable. That assurance is now being quietly dismantled, piece by piece, without either side admitting it.

On June 2, the Office of the US Trade Representative proposed a new 12.5 percent tariff on Chinese imports, citing a Section 301 investigation into China's failure to impose and enforce a prohibition on goods produced with forced labor. The proposal covers China alongside 59 other countries under a parallel investigation and is open for public comment through July 6, with a hearing the following day. A final decision is expected before the summer ends.

The significance of the ...