Tharoor Urges India To Retaliate With 50% Tariff On US Goods

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor advocates raising India's tariffs on US goods to 50% in response to a US-imposed 25% tariff on Indian exports, sparking a debate on trade relations. Tharoor stresses that India should not be intimidated and must protect its national interests.

In a bold statement, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has called for India to respond decisively to an additional 25% tariff imposed by the US on Indian exports by raising tariffs on American goods to 50%. Speaking to the press, Tharoor criticized the current 17% tariff as insufficient and implored India not to be intimidated by international threats.

Highlighting the significant $90 billion trade relationship between the two nations, Tharoor remarked that raising tariffs would prompt buyers to reconsider their sourcing choices, thus pressuring the US to reconsider its stance. He questioned whether the US truly values its relationship with India, emphasizing reciprocity in trade relations.

The US justified its tariff increase citing national security concerns over India's imports of Russian oil. However, India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the move as unfair and vowed to protect its interests. A senior US official compared the scale of Russian imports by the two countries, asserting no equivalency between them.