While the world awaits clarity on what the reciprocal tariff plan would look like, the US has kept sufficient leeway to impose punitive taxes on imports in the guise of addressing non-tariff barriers if the levelling of levies do not produce results it wants, according to a study. “Around 75% of US exports to India already face tariffs below 5%, so reciprocal tariff increases may not be effective. Instead, the US may pressure countries to lower tariffs by citing non-tariff barriers, local taxes, and currency policies—without needing justification,” a report by Global Trade Research Initiative’s founder Ajay Srivastava said.