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US tariffs threaten millions of jobs in India’s textile sector as American buyers pull orders

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epa12288249 Indian labourers work at a Red Fashion Textile workshop manufacturing garments in the Dharavi area of Mumbai, India, 07 August 2025. In an escalation of trade tensions between the United States and India, US President Donald Trump, on 06 August 2025, signed an executive order imposing a 25 per cent ad valorem tariff on all Indian imports into the United States. The ad valorem duty imposed in Executive Order 14257 would apply in addition to the ad valorem duty imposed in section 2 of the order. This effectively means some categories of Indian exports may face a combined tariff burden of over 50 per cent, depending on their classification.  EPA/DIVYAKANT SOLANKI

Textile factories employ an estimated 65 million workers, mainly women, in India.

PHOTO: EPA

Follow topic:
  • US tariffs on Indian textile exports have scared away buyers.
  • Indian textile businesses anticipate revenue and job losses, with the impact felt across the textile ecosystem.
  • Manufacturers are exploring options like relocating production facilities and seeking government support to mitigate the damage.

AI generated

Having keenly followed US President Donald Trump’s “tariff crusade” over the past few months, textile exporter Harsha Mukund Soundararajan had long expected the mercurial American billionaire to train his sights on India at some point.

But when the tariffs were finally declared, Mr Harsha was stunned. Mr Trump imposed a so-called reciprocal tariff of 25 per cent, and India faces an additional 25 per cent tariff from Aug 27 due to its purchases of sanctioned Russian crude oil.

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