For India, these reciprocal tariffs had been 50% from August 2025 to February 6, 2026, after which Mr. Trump reduced them to 25%. Indian government data, however, shows that India had a merchandise trade surplus of $42.2 billion with the U.S. over this period. “India’s global goods trade surplus sectors include textiles, health, construction goods, and automotive goods,” the U.S. order said. A day later, the USTR announced the launch of a fresh investigation, this time on 60 countries, including India. Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 is aimed at addressing unfair foreign practices affecting U.S. businesses.

Source: The Hindu March 15, 2026 17:13 UTC