The Times of India reported on September 23 that analysis by the Indian think tank "Global Trade Research Initiative" (GTRI) shows that India's exports have continued to weaken due to the impact of the US "reciprocal tariffs". The Trump administration imposed tariffs on India in stages, with full tariffs of 50% only taking effect in September, but they have already had a significant impact on India's exports. Data shows that from May to August 2025, India's exports to the US fell from $8.8 billion (88 billion USD) to $6.9 billion (69 billion USD), a decrease of 22.2%. Specifically, the overall decline in exports of metals and auto parts was 4%, the overall decline in labor-intensive exports was 10.8%, and the overall decline in textile and apparel exports was 9.3%. Notably, exports of products exempted from US tariffs also weakened, with export volumes of such products declining sharply by 41.9% in August compared to May, with smartphone exports declining as much as 58%. GTRI said the drop may be due to mobile phone production returning to China and Vietnam. GTRI warned that the full 50% tariff imposed by the US in September could further exacerbate the decline in India's exports in sectors such as textiles, jewelry, seafood, chemicals, and solar panels. GTRI pointed out that the Indian government has reduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to boost domestic demand, but there is still a lack of targeted relief for exports. GTRI also stated that India must hold firm in its negotiations with the US on issues such as agriculture, dairy products, genetically modified feed, and "regulatory sovereignty", because the US demands will only be "a big mouth", and cannot be fully met.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844071877049356/
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