In a significant move challenging President Donald Trump’s trade policy, three U.S. lawmakers introduced a resolution on Friday aimed at ending the punitive tariffs of up to 50 per cent imposed on imports from India. The action marks a growing pushback in Congress against what critics call unlawful and economically damaging tariff measures.
The resolution, spearheaded by Representatives Deborah Ross, Marc Veasey, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, comes after a bipartisan move in the Senate to scrap similar tariffs on Brazil and rein in the President’s use of emergency powers to hike import duties.
As per the release, the resolution seeks to rescind the additional 25 per cent “secondary" duties imposed on India on August 27, 2025, on top of earlier reciprocal tariffs, which together raised duties on many Indian-origin products to 50 per cent under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Congresswoman Ross said, “North Carolina’s economy is deeply connected to India through trade, investment, and a vibrant Indian American community," highlighting that Indian companies have invested over a billion dollars in the state, creating thousands of jobs in sectors such as life sciences and technology, while North Carolina manufacturers export hundreds of millions of dollars in goods to India annually.
“India is an important cultural, economic, and strategic partner, and these illegal tariffs are a tax on everyday North Texans who are already struggling with rising costs," Congressman Veasey added.
Meanwhile, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the tariffs are “counterproductive," warning that they disrupt supply chains, hurt American workers and raise costs for consumers, and added that scrapping them would strengthen US-India economic and security cooperation.
“Instead of advancing American interests or security, these duties disrupt supply chains, harm American workers, and drive up costs for consumers. Ending these damaging tariffs will allow the United States to engage with India to advance our shared economic and security needs," Krishnamoorthi added.
The resolution is part of a wider effort by congressional Democrats to push back against Trump’s unilateral trade actions and recalibrate the United States’ relationship with India.
Earlier, Ross, Veasey, and Krishnamoorthi, in October, along with Congressman Ro Khanna and 19 other Members of Congress, had urged the President to reverse his tariff policies and repair strained bilateral ties with India.
