“Damaging India, Hurting America”: US Representative sounds alarm on Trump’s tariff, immigration policy

India-US economic and people-to-people ties have been largely in focus from the last few months as concerns over trade barriers and immigration policies keep mounting. United States Representative Pramila Jayapal raised similar issued during the House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee’s hearing titled ‘The US-India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific’.

Pointing to ongoing trade tariff challenges impacting both economies, Jayapal stressed on their consequences for businesses and consumers. She said, “We also are facing challenges around tariffs, both here in the United States and in India. These tariffs are damaging India’s economy and also hurting American businesses and consumers.”

Also read: Offers from India best-ever: USTR on proposed bilateral trade agreement

To underline the issue, she also cited the experience of a long-standing family business in her home state. “Just last week, I heard from a fifth-generation family-owned company in Washington State that relies on agricultural products from India that can’t be sourced at scale in the United States. They told me that these tariffs are the greatest threat to their business in over 120 years, and they’re looking at either downsizing or offshoring their production to meet increased costs,” she said.

Further, she linked these trade concerns to broader disruptions in bilateral ties, and also critised Trump’s recent immigration policies. “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 remarks on tariffs came as trade tensions between India and US escalated further following comments by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. He warned of possible new tariffs on India’s rice exports, accusing New Delhi of “dumping” cheap rice into the country and harming US farmers. He made his remarks during a White House meeting where he also announced a USD 12 billion aid package for American agricultural producers.During the key meeting in the US, country’s farmers complained that low-cost imports from India, Vietnam and Thailand were driving down domestic prices. Responding to these concerns, Trump questioned why additional duties had not been imposed on India and said he would “take care” of the alleged dumping, signalling that fresh tariffs could soon be considered.

India US trade deal: What’s the status?

Trump’s additional tariff threat came at a time when US trade delegation was in India on December 10-11 for trade negotiations that have struggled to yield substantial progress in the last few months. The ongoing talks have been weighed down by officials’ disagreements over market access and tariff measures, deepening strain in the trade relationship.

The United States had earlier imposed 25 per cent tariffs on most Indian goods in August 2025 amid broader trade disputes and an additional 25 per cent due to concerns over India’s purchases of Russian oil. Trump’s latest rice tariff warning has added fresh uncertainty to already difficult negotiations, heightening the risk of further trade friction between the two big economies.