'India is an important partner': US lawmakers push to scrap Trump’s 50% tariffs

The resolution was introduced on Friday by Representatives Deborah Ross, Marc Veasey, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, who described the tariffs as illegal, economically damaging, and detrimental to US–India relations.

The lawmakers argued that the measures hurt American workers, raise costs for consumers, and undermine a key strategic partnership.

According to an official release, the resolution aims to revoke the additional 25 percent “secondary” duties imposed on Indian goods on August 27, 2025.

These were layered on top of earlier reciprocal tariffs, pushing total duties on several Indian-origin products to as high as 50 percent under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

The House move follows a bipartisan effort in the Senate to end similar Trump-era tariffs on Brazil and rein in the President’s ability to use emergency powers to impose sweeping trade penalties without congressional approval.

Highlighting the economic stakes, Congresswoman Deborah Ross underscored North Carolina’s close trade and investment ties with India.

She noted that Indian companies have invested more than $1 billion in the state, generating thousands of jobs in sectors such as life sciences and technology, while North Carolina-based manufacturers export hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of goods to India each year.

“India is an important cultural, economic, and strategic partner,” Ross said, stressing that punitive tariffs risk undermining jobs and growth on both sides of the partnership.

Congressman Marc Veasey echoed the criticism, calling the tariffs a direct burden on American households already grappling with rising living costs.

He said the duties effectively function as a tax on everyday consumers while weakening economic ties with a trusted partner.

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi warned that the tariffs have had broader systemic consequences, including disrupted supply chains and higher prices across US markets.

He argued that rolling back the duties would help reinforce US–India economic cooperation and strengthen security collaboration at a time of growing global uncertainty.

“These tariffs are counterproductive,” Krishnamoorthi said, adding that ending them would allow Washington and New Delhi to better advance shared economic and strategic objectives.

The resolution is part of a wider push by congressional Democrats to challenge Trump’s unilateral trade actions and reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over trade policy.

Lawmakers have increasingly criticised the use of emergency declarations to impose sweeping tariffs without legislative oversight.

In October, Ross, Veasey, and Krishnamoorthi, along with Congressman Ro Khanna and 19 other House members, had written to the President urging him to reverse the tariff decisions and repair strained relations with India.

The current dispute traces back to August, when Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports starting August 1, followed by another 25 percent hike days later.

The administration justified the move by citing India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, arguing that such trade indirectly supported Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine.

With the new House resolution, critics of the tariffs are seeking to roll back what they view as a damaging trade policy that has strained ties with one of America’s most important global partners.