Will defend national interest, says Centre after tariff shock

India will take “all necessary steps” to secure its national interest, commerce minister Piyush Goyal told parliament on Thursday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced punitive tariffs on Indian goods.

- Rajeev Jayaswal

“The implications of the recent development are being examined by the government,” Goyal said in a suo motu statement, making a tacit reference to Trump's Truth Social post on Wednesday that India will face a 25% reciprocal tariff plus an unspecified additional penalty for purchasing Russian crude oil from August 1.

The minister said the commerce ministry is engaged with all stakeholders, including exporters and industry for taking feedback on their assessment of the situation.

Trump's reaction was an outcome of India refusing to budge on retaining protections for its agriculture, dairy and micro, small and medium enterprises from unfettered American imports.

On Thursday, the American president continued his targeting of India. “I don’t care what India does with Russia,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. “They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

In Washington, a US appeals court sharply questioned whether Trump's tariffs were justified by the president's emergency powers, after a lower court said he exceeded his authority with sweeping levies on imported goods from a wide variety of countries.

The US emergency powers law "doesn't even say tariffs, doesn't even mention them," one of the judges said.

"The government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, workers, exporters, entrepreneurs, MSMEs and all sections of Industry. We will take all necessary steps to secure and advance our national interest," Goyal told both houses of Parliament.

People close to the development said the Trump administration is yet to send any formal communication over the tariffs or the quantum of the penalty.

"Situation will be clear in the next two days, which will help to assess the impact for considered action," one of them said.