India-US trade deal Live: Agreement will ‘support Indian MSMEs,’ says FM Sitharaman
As part of this framework, the US will slash reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, providing a huge market opportunity in key sectors such as textiles & apparel, leather & footwear, plastic & rubber products, organic chemicals, home décor, artisanal products, and select machinery in the world’s largest economy.
Additionally, tariffs will go down to zero on a wide range of goods, including generic pharmaceuticals, gems & diamonds, and aircraft parts, thereby further enhancing India’s export competitiveness and Make in India.
India will also get exemptions under section 232 on aircraft parts, tariff rate quota on auto parts and negotiated outcomes on generic pharmaceuticals, leading to tangible export gains in these sectors.
At the same time, the Agreement reflects India’s commitment to safeguarding farmers’ interests and sustaining rural livelihoods by completely protecting sensitive agricultural and dairy products, including maize, wheat, rice, soya, poultry, milk, cheese, ethanol(fuel), tobacco, certain vegetables, meat, etc.
