New Delhi, August 8: An industrial organization expressed concerns on Saturday regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff decisions. The organization noted that the U.S. Senate has approved a bill granting President Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on top Russian energy importers. This development raises alarms about India’s engineering exports.
Although the bill still needs to complete the legal process, the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) India warned that if it becomes law, the consequences could be significant.
EEPC India Chairman Pankaj Chadha stated, “This is indeed a worrying matter for us, as the U.S. is the top market for Indian engineering goods. The bill still requires legislative processing, but it is genuinely concerning for us, as any additional levy could diminish the competitiveness of Indian products.”
Chadha further explained, “The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, if approved by the U.S. Congress and enacted into law, could greatly impact Indian goods exports. However, it is premature to discuss any potential effects at this stage.”
In the financial year 2025-26, exports of engineering goods from India to the U.S. remained positive, despite President Trump recently imposing new tariffs. Experts believe that any additional levy on shipments could weaken the competitiveness of Indian products.
Exports of Indian engineering goods to the U.S. reached $19.60 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 2.3%. The U.S. Senate passed a bill imposing sanctions on Russia, which does not specifically name India but could subject it and other major Russian energy buyers to tariffs of up to 100%.
The Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 passed the Senate with a vote of 86-11 and will now move to the House of Representatives, where senior Democrats have raised objections to its tariff provisions.
Under this law, the government will need to identify countries using trade data rather than naming them in the legislation. This includes the five largest importers of Russian crude oil, the five largest importers of Russian natural gas, and five major countries that help evade Russian oil sanctions.
These decisions will be based on the most recent 12-month period and will be reviewed every 180 days.
Leave a Comment