Congress MP Jairam Ramesh
| Photo Credit: ANI
Asserting that reciprocal tariffs are a complete negation of all accepted principles of international trade, the Congress on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should “summon the courage” to remind U.S. President Donald Trump that the ‘T’ in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) “stands for Trade not Trump”.
Also Read |Self-inflicted injury: On Trump tariffs and the U.S. economy
The party’s assertion comes after Mr. Trump spelt out his plan to increase U.S. tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports from the U.S. and had mentioned that countries like India and China would face reciprocal tariffs.
“Reciprocal tariffs are a complete negation of all accepted principles of international trade. Mr. Modi should summon the courage to remind his good friend that the T in WTO stands for Trade not Trump,” Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said.
His colleague Pawan Khera had posed five questions to the Narendra Modi government on reciprocal tariffs by the U.S. Mr. Khera, asked about the government’s plan to protect the interests of domestic farmers, who make up 45.76% of the workforce and steps to ensure to prevent India from becoming a dumping ground for cheap U.S. agricultural imports, said: “Will the government now consider changes in domestic policy, particularly the legalisation of [minimum support price] MSP, to provide basic income support to Indian farmers?”
He also asked about the government safeguarding the MSME sector, whose production will be severely impacted by costly exports and increased competition from foreign products. “What will be the impact of reciprocal tariffs on India’s GDP?” Mr. Khera asked.
Diplomatic strategy
In another post on X, Mr. Khera questioned the Modi government’s diplomatic strategy in the wake of Mr. Trump reportedly allocating $397 million for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet maintenance. Such actions potentially compromise India’s security interests, especially given the historical use of F-16s by Pakistan against India, he added.
The government or the BJP is yet to comment on these reported developments so far.
“Furthermore, recent defence negotiations have raised concerns. The proposal to acquire F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. has been met with criticism due to high costs and operational challenges. Elon Musk, for instance, has labelled the F-35 as ‘junk’, questioning its efficacy. Additionally, Russia has offered to produce its advanced Su-57 jets in India, presenting a potentially more viable alternative,” the Congress leader said.
Noting that the Congress has championed “a balanced and proactive foreign policy, fostering non-alignment along with strategic autonomy,”Mr. Khera said, “A reassessment of our foreign policy priorities, drawing from the Congress party’s legacy of strategic foresight, is essential to safeguard national interests”.
Published – February 25, 2025 08:56 pm IST