Congress Questions PM Modi on US Tariff Plans
On Tuesday, the Congress party directed five pressing questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding US President Donald Trump’s proposed ‘reciprocal tariffs.’ Congress emphasized that Modi should gather the courage to remind Trump that the ‘T’ in WTO signifies Trade, not Trump.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh voiced concerns, describing reciprocal tariffs as a complete dismissal of established international trade principles. These comments followed Trump’s announcement to raise US tariffs to match the tax rates imposed by other nations on imports, potentially leading to a wider economic conflict with both allies and rivals.
Ramesh stated in a post that Modi needs to stand firm against Trump’s approach, underscoring that the focus should be on trade rather than political friendships.
“Reciprocal tariffs threaten the core values of international trade,” he noted.
Additionally, Congress’s media head Pawan Khera raised five significant questions to Modi amidst fears that these U.S. tariffs could adversely affect India’s agriculture sector and the economy. He particularly highlighted how the government plans to protect the interests of domestic farmers, who represent a significant portion of India’s workforce.
Khera’s questions included:
- How will the government safeguard the interests of domestic farmers amid increased imports from the U.S.?
- Will there be changes in policies, especially the legalization of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to offer income support to Indian farmers?
- What measures will the government take to ensure that India does not become a dumping ground for inexpensive U.S. agricultural goods?
- What will be the expected impact of these tariffs on India’s GDP?
- How does the government plan to protect the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that may suffer due to costly exports and heightened competition from foreign products?
These inquiries aim to hold the government accountable as the potential impact of the tariffs becomes clearer. The Congress party is keen on ensuring that farmer and domestic industry interests are not sidelined in global economic negotiations.
