US trade panel flags high Indian tariffs ahead of trade deadline

Washington: Just before the April 2 deadline for reciprocal tariffs, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) submitted the National Trade Estimates 2025 report to President Donald Trump and the US Congress. The annual report details foreign trade barriers affecting US exporters and the USTR’s efforts to address them.

The report highlighted India’s high tariffs on various goods, including vegetable oils (up to 45%), apples, maize, and motorcycles (up to 50%), automobiles and flowers (60%), natural rubber (70%), and coffee, raisins, and walnuts (up to 100%). Alcoholic beverages face tariffs as high as 150%.

The USTR report aligns with President Trump’s ‘America First Trade Policy’ and notes that some tariffs exceed 20%, even on essential medicines listed by the World Health Organization.

It further states that India’s high tariffs are restricting trade in agricultural and processed food products such as poultry, potatoes, citrus fruits, almonds, pecan nuts, grapes, canned peaches, chocolate, cookies, and frozen French fries, which are widely used in fast-food restaurants.