'Impose 50 per cent tariff on US products too'; Shashi Tharoor MP tells central govt

NEW DELHI: Shashi Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram and former external affairs minister, strongly criticised US President Donald Trump's move to impose tariffs of up to 50 per cent on imports from India. In retaliation, Tharoor demanded that India also raise tariffs on US products in a tit-for–tat approach.

“Tariffs of up to 50% should be imposed on US products. India imposes an average tariff of up to 17% on US products. By increasing it to 50%, we can send a strong message to the US. India should not negotiate with the US, but instead give a strong response. The US gave China a 90-day deadline, but gave India just three weeks. India will get cheap oil and natural gas from Russia. This is necessary for the country's development,” Tharoor said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also discreetly responded to the US tariff hike, saying that the interests of farmers, dairy farmers and fishermen will never be compromised.

Instead of the 25% imposed last week, the US has doubled the tariff. The initially announced 25% will come into effect from today. The tariff has been increased to 50% because India is relying largely on Russia for oil imports. The 25% tariff announced yesterday will also come into effect on August 27. The increase in tariffs is a big challenge for exports.