Trump Tariff Takedown | ‘Nothing is certain’: MP Shringla says best for India to wait and watch

Rajya Sabha MP and former Indian ambassador to US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that it is too early to determine the final tariff on Indian exporters, stressing the need to preserve market access as uncertainty persists after the US Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs last week.

“Nothing is certain in terms (of) what exactly will be the tariff we have to deal with ultimately,” Shringla said, warning that the Trump administration could resort to other measures up their sleeve.

Shringla added that one can only “wait and watch and see how the situation evolves.” He noted that tariff levels have already seen significant downward revisions — from as high as 50% earlier to around 25% — with discussions now pointing to levels closer to 15%.

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As of February 24, goods imported into the US are subject to a 10% ad valorem tariff under a notice issued by the US Customs and Border Protection. While US President Trump has said on social media that the rate would be raised to 15%, a formal executive order to that effect has yet to be issued.

Trump had warned countries of “much higher tariff” if they “play games” after the US Supreme Court ruled on February 20 that the president is not authorised to impose the sweeping global tariffs.

Shringla noted that a blanket tariff of around 15% was now under discussion but cautioned against drawing firm conclusions at this stage. “It is too early to say what is better,” he said.

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He added that the trade deal previously negotiated between India and the US had been favourable relative to competing economies and said he had outlined the advantages in Parliament.

Dismissing criticism from the Opposition, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shringla emphasised the importance of maintaining access to the US market.

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“There’s no market like the US in sheer size and volume and the sort of opportunities it gives to India’s labour intensive manufacturers,” he said, adding that India could not afford to be “reticent” about pursuing a deal if it wanted to preserve market access.

“Shouldn’t forget that the US is the largest export market for India, where we have a trade surplus of $45 billion,” he added.

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