US Tariffs: Stalin Writes to PM Urging to Shield Textile Sector, Fears Loss of 30L Jobs

TAMIL Nadu has called on the union government to step in as the United States' tariffs threaten to derail the state's textile industry, which employs 75 lakh people and is one of the largest contributors to India's textile exports.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, Chief Minister MK Stalin warned that without immediate action, up to 30 lakh jobs in the textiles sector could be at risk if tariffs rise from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. The chief minister, in his letter, laid out a policy roadmap aimed squarely at the textile sector, the state's largest export earner. The key proposals include fixing an inverted duty structure under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the man-made fibre value chain by bringing the entire chain under a 5 per cent slab, and eliminating import duties on all cotton varieties.