New tariffs not yet officially imposed by the U.S., Commerce Secretary tells parliamentary panel

Sunil Barthwal.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The U.S. had not yet officially imposed new tariffs on India, the Commerce Secretary on Monday (March 10, 2025) evening informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on External Affairs headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, sources said.

Facing a barrage of questions from the Opposition on why India has had a muted response, unlike Canada and Mexico, to U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of India’s tariff regime in several statements, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, who briefed the panel, clarified that India was still negotiating with the United States, and had not made any commitments so far. The U.S., Mr. Barthwal said, had not imposed any new taxes yet.

This meeting came after Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to the United States, where the Minister held talks with the U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

While conceding that Mr. Trump’s tariff announcements had thrown the world economy into a tizzy, Mr. Barthwal, sources said, assured the panel that the government was working to ensure all agreements and trade deals would be mutually beneficial.

India exported nearly $74 billion worth of goods to the U.S. in 2024, which establishes the U.S. as India’s biggest trading partner. Any hike in tariff could elbow out Indian goods in an already competitive market, the PSC’s members said.