Overview
- After visiting a garment factory in Haryana, Rahul Gandhi said reported 50% US tariffs are hurting exporters and urged the Prime Minister to intervene, warning of risks to more than 4.5 crore jobs.
- Gandhi called for a US trade deal that prioritises Indian businesses and workers, describing job losses, factory shutdowns and reduced orders as evidence of a “dead economy.”
- The BJP rejected the claims, with spokespersons invoking the IMF’s upgraded 2025 growth forecast of 7.3% and a minister citing higher April–December 2025 textile export values versus the previous year.
- Exporters’ accounts in coverage describe thinner orders and pressure from falling prices in Europe and competition from Bangladesh, China and Vietnam.
- Reports trace the strain to Trump‑era duties on many Indian exports, with India imposing retaliatory tariffs on selected US farm goods and negotiators still stuck on issues such as agricultural market access.