India may reportedly use the planned bilateral trade agreement with the US to push for increased textile exports among other industries in order to shield those that are anticipated to be the most negatively impacted by reciprocal tariffs.
President Donald Trump intends to “soon” slap reciprocal tariffs on nations like China and India after repeatedly voicing his disapproval of the “high” Indian levies. Trump has mentioned a trade agreement with India, but he has also warned of tariffs, for which a strategy is being developed.
The goal is to shield Indian exports from the effects of tariffs. Essentially, the trade deal with the US is seen as the solution, and India plans to ensure the deal benefits the country. Key areas of focus will include pushing for the export of agriculture, textiles, aluminium, and steel to the US.
The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a research tank, stated in a note that although textiles are particularly vulnerable due to the largest tariff differences between India and the US, Indian farm exports may be the most severely affected.
