US lawmakers move resolution to end Trump’s 50% tariffs on India

A group of US lawmakers has moved a resolution in the House of Representatives seeking to terminate President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on Indian goods, calling them "illegal" and damaging to a key strategic partnership.Democratic Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Deborah Ross of North Carolina and Marc Veasey of Texas have introduced the resolution to revoke the national emergency invoked by President Trump to impose tariffs of up to 50 per cent on imports from India.

The move follows a bipartisan, Senate-passed measure aimed at ending Trump-era tariffs on Brazil and curbing the use of emergency powers to raise import duties.

India–US relations have come under strain after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent and imposed an additional 25 per cent levy on imports linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude. New Delhi had described the US action as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.

The resolution targets tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which the President used to justify higher duties on Indian products. It would also rescind the additional 25 per cent “secondary” tariffs that came into force on August 27, on top of earlier reciprocal duties, pushing levies on several Indian-origin goods to as high as 50 per cent.

“President Trump’s irresponsible tariff strategy toward India is a counterproductive approach that weakens a critical partnership,” Krishnamoorthi said, arguing that the duties disrupt supply chains, hurt American workers and raise costs for US consumers without advancing economic or security interests.

Ross underlined the economic stakes for states with strong commercial ties to India, noting that Indian companies have invested over $1 billion in North Carolina, creating thousands of jobs, particularly in the life sciences and technology sectors.

At the same time, she said, manufacturers from the state export hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of goods -- including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and advanced machinery -- to India. “When Trump destabilises this relationship with illegal tariffs, he puts jobs, innovation and long-term competitiveness at risk,” Ross said.

Veasey described India as an important cultural, economic and strategic partner, saying the tariffs amount to a tax on ordinary Americans already grappling with rising costs.

The three lawmakers have been among the most vocal critics of Trump’s tariff regime. In October, they joined Congressman Ro Khanna and 19 other members of Congress in urging the President to repair strained US–India relations and roll back what they termed harmful trade policies.

The resolution is part of a broader push by congressional Democrats to reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over trade and prevent the President from unilaterally imposing tariffs through emergency powers.