There are two basic coercive instruments being used by the US: one is the imposition of one-way tariffs, that is, the U.S. imposes tariffs on goods from the global south entering its own market but would not allow countries of the global south to impose any comparable tariffs on American goods entering into their markets. The second coercive instrument is the one-way imposition of import obligations. Specific targets for imports from the U.S. are stipulated for a country of the global south, but not the other way round; that is, no such obligations are imposed on the U.S. in the matter of importing from the global south country.

Both these stipulations were there in the Indo-US Trade Treaty that had been finalized, until a U.S. Court struck down Trump’s trade measures. This treaty is being renegotiated and has been reportedly finalized. When it is made public one would almost certainly see these coercive aspects.