Representative Pramila Jayapal :”Damaging India, Hurting America” US expresses concern about the effects of tariffs
Representative Pramila Jayapal : Representative Pramila Jayapal of the United States expressed worry over immigration laws and trade restrictions that impact the economic and interpersonal relations between the US and India. She made these comments during a hearing called ‘The US-India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ held by the House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee.
Jayapal emphasized the effects on companies and consumers of the continuing tariff issues affecting both nations. “We also have issues with tariffs, both in India and here in the United States,” she said. In addition to affecting American companies and consumers, these tariffs are harming India’s economy.
She used the experience of a long-standing family company in her own state to highlight the problem. “A fifth-generation family-owned business in Washington State that depends on agricultural goods from India that cannot be procured in large quantities in the US contacted me only last week. “They told me that these tariffs are the biggest threat to their business in over 120 years, and in order to meet the higher costs, they are considering either downsizing or offshoring their production,” she added.
Jayapal then criticized current immigration policies and connected these trade concerns to more significant disruptions in bilateral relations. “Meanwhile, this president has threatened people-to-people ties by shutting down legal pathways to immigrate, reminiscent of a legacy of discriminatory quotas that made it extremely difficult for Indians to immigrate in the first place,” she said.
Her worries about tariffs coincided with an increase in trade tensions as a result of remarks made by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Trump accused additional Delhi of “dumping” cheap rice into the US market and hurting US farmers, and he warned of potential additional taxes on India’s rice exports. During a White House meeting, he made these statements and unveiled a USD 12 billion relief plan for American farmers.
Several US farmers expressed dissatisfaction at the discussion, claiming that low-cost imports from Vietnam, Thailand, and India were lowering local pricing. In response to these worries, Trump stated he would “take care” of the alleged dumping and asked why more penalties had not been placed on India, indicating that further tariffs would soon be taken into consideration.
These events occurred when a US trade team was already in India from December 10–11 for talks that haven’t produced much progress. Disagreements over tariffs and market access have hampered the continuing negotiations, further straining the trade relationship.
Amid larger trade conflicts and worries over India’s imports of Russian energy, the United States had already placed 50% tariffs on the majority of Indian exports in August 2025. Trump’s most recent threat has increased the likelihood of further trade disputes between the two nations and added uncertainty to already challenging discussions.