On Tuesday, the Congress posed five questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding US President Donald Trump’s proposed ‘reciprocal tariffs.’ The party also urged Modi to “gather the courage” to remind his “good friend” that the ‘T’ in WTO stands for Trade, not Trump.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the concept of reciprocal tariffs, calling them a complete violation of internationally accepted trade principles. His remarks followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to raise US tariffs to match the tax rates imposed by other nations on imports, potentially escalating economic tensions with both allies and rivals.
“Reciprocal tariffs go against all established principles of international trade. Mr. Modi must find the courage to remind his good friend that the ‘T’ in WTO stands for Trade, not Trump,” Ramesh stated in a post on X.
Trump has reiterated that his administration will “soon” implement reciprocal tariffs on countries such as India and China, echoing similar remarks he made during Modi’s recent visit to Washington.
Congress’ Five Questions to PM Modi on Reciprocal Tariffs
Beyond urging PM Modi to stand up to Trump, Congress posed five key questions regarding how the government plans to handle the situation if the US proceeds with its reciprocal tariff policy.
In a post on X, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera questioned how the union government intends to protect domestic farmers—who constitute 45.76% of the workforce—amid potential surges in US imports.
He also asked whether the government would consider policy changes, such as legalizing MSP, to provide a basic income guarantee for Indian farmers.
“What assurances will the Indian government secure to prevent India from turning into a dumping ground for cheap US agricultural imports?” Khera further questioned.
Additionally, he sought clarity on the impact of reciprocal tariffs on India’s GDP and how the government plans to protect the MSME sector, which could face severe challenges due to rising export costs and increased competition from foreign products.
