Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on the Modi government on Wednesday following US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose fresh US tariffs on Indian goods, calling it a “foreign policy disaster.” The new tariffs, effective from August 7, add an additional 25% to the existing levy—bringing the total tariff on Indian exports to 50%.
The move reportedly stems from India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and is part of Trump’s executive order titled “Addressing Threats to the US by the Government of the Russian Federation.” The sweeping tariffs are expected to severely affect Indian export sectors like textiles, leather, MSMEs, and agriculture.
India's national interest is supreme. Any nation that arbitrarily penalises India for our time-tested policy of strategic autonomy, which is embedded in the ideology of Non-alignment, doesn't understand the steel frame India is made of.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 7, 2025
From the threats of 7th fleet to the…
MSMEs, Agriculture Hit by US Tariffs on Indian Goods: Kharge
Kharge said the US tariffs on Indian goods could impact Indian industries with an estimated economic burden of ₹3.75 lakh crore out of the ₹7.51 lakh crore worth of exports to the US in 2024. He accused the Modi government of failing to secure a trade agreement with the US despite having enough time and warning signals.
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“Our MSMEs, Agriculture, Dairy, Engineering Goods, Electronics, Gems & Jewellery, Pharmaceuticals, Petroleum, and Cotton products will suffer the most,” Kharge warned. He also criticised the Union Budget for not including provisions to mitigate the anticipated tariff blow.
The Congress chief further took aim at Modi’s silence on Trump’s recent claim about mediating a ceasefire, saying, “You are allowing Trump to intimidate and coerce us while you remain silent.” Kharge highlighted India’s history of maintaining dignity in its ties with the US—from withstanding threats from the 7th Fleet to handling nuclear test sanctions—unlike the current “dithering diplomacy,” in his words.
ALSO READ| 50% Tariff on India: MEA Calls US Move Over Russian Oil ‘Unfair, Unjustified and Unreasonable’
Reaffirming India’s strategic autonomy, Kharge concluded, “Any country that penalises us for it doesn’t understand the steel frame India is made of.”
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