
New Delhi: While the Indian government has been focussing on bilateral trade agreements (BTA) with the US, it has not held any talks on averting reciprocal tariff.>
The US has already announced starting from April 2, 2025, it will impose a reciprocal tariff, increasing the tariff on countries which levy higher duties on exports from the US than duties imposed by the US on their exports, reported The New Indian Express.>
“Reciprocal tariff is a US law and part of its broader international trade strategy, which will impact not just one country. So, we have not been talking with them on reciprocal tariff,” a government official told the newspaper.>
Officials from the Ministry of Commerce have not revealed yet about any request made by the Indian government to defer the imposition of the reciprocal tariff from April 2.>
“Currently, they are conducting investigations on items and countries which may qualify for reciprocal tariff. The investigation is likely to end by 1 April, and a report will be submitted. So, after 1 April they may go ahead with the imposition of reciprocal tariff, said the government official.>
Earlier, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal had left on March 3 on an unscheduled visit to the US to initiate negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement.>
“India charges us 100% tariffs; the system is not fair to the US, it never was. On April 2, reciprocal tariffs kick in. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them. If they use non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we will use non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market,” US President Donald Trump had earlier said.>