US TRADE DEAL: CONG SLAMS GOVT OVER NOT WAITING UNTIL SC RULING

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Sunday questioned the Centre over not waiting for the United States Supreme Court's ruling on Trump tariffs before agreeing to a trade deal framework with Washington.

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Congress MP Jairam Ramesh

The US court ruled 6-3 that the administration exceeded its authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPA) of 1977 to impose broad-based import tariffs, affirming that the power to levy taxes resides primarily with Congress. However, US President Donald Trump later raised worldwide tariffs to the “fully allowed, and legally tested, 15 per cent level,” effective immediately.

‘The Congress leader suggested that the Union Government could have waited for the recent developments instead of agreeing to the framework of the deal to “distract the media.”

He argued that India could have been in a better position to negotiate after the US Supreme Court verdict.