'India is a key partner': US lawmakers urge to scrap 50% tariff; warn of economic fallout

In a significant acknowledgement of India’s growing economic importance to the United States, three members of the US House of Representatives have moved to roll back steep tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Indian imports, arguing that the measures hurt American jobs, consumers, and the broader US-India partnership.

The resolution, introduced by Congresswoman Deborah Ross and Congressmen Marc Veasey and Raja Krishnamoorthi, seeks to terminate Trump’s national emergency declaration that led to tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Indian goods. The move follows a bipartisan effort in the US Senate to curb the President’s use of emergency powers to impose punitive trade measures.




According to the lawmakers, the resolution aims to withdraw the additional 25 per cent “secondary” tariffs imposed on India on August 27, 2025, which were stacked on earlier reciprocal duties, pushing levies on several Indian-origin products to 50 per cent under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

"North Carolina's economy is deeply connected to India through trade, investment, and a vibrant Indian American community," said Congresswoman Ross

Indian companies, she noted, have invested more than $1bn in the state, generating thousands of jobs in high-growth sectors such as life sciences and technology, while US manufacturers export hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of goods to India each year.

"India is an important cultural, economic, and strategic partner, and these illegal tariffs are a tax on everyday North Texans who are already struggling with rising costs," Congressman Veasey added.

Echoing these concerns, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi stated that the duties imposed on Indian imports are "counterproductive, disrupt supply chains, harm American workers, and drive up costs for consumers." He emphasised that removing the tariffs would strengthen economic engagement and deepen US-India cooperation in both trade and security.

"Instead of advancing American interests or security, these duties disrupt supply chains, harm American workers, and drive up costs for consumers. Ending these damaging tariffs will allow the United States to engage with India to advance our shared economic and security needs," Krishnamoorthi added.

"Ending Trump's India tariffs is part of a broader effort by congressional Democrats to reclaim Congress's constitutional authority over trade and to stop the President from using emergency powers to unilaterally impose his misguided trade policies," the release stated.

Earlier in October, Ross, Veasey and Krishnamoorthi, along with Congressman Ro Khanna and 19 other lawmakers, had urged the President to reverse the tariff measures and repair relations with India.

The tariffs were imposed in August, when Trump announced a 25 per cent duty on Indian goods starting August 1, followed by another 25 per cent hike days later, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, a move that drew criticism from lawmakers who argue the decision undermined US economic interests and a vital partnership with New Delhi.

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