‘50% tariff imposed by US on Indian goods won’t last’

COIMBATORE: The 50% tariff imposed by the US on Indian goods is unsustainable and won’t last, said Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) chairman Sudhir Sekhri on Wednesday. Trade discussions between India and the United States are expected to give a strong rebound to India’s exports, he said.Sekhri was speaking to reporters after inaugurating the 52nd India International Knit Fair in Tirupur. He said, " Apparel business to the tune of around $2.5billion has been affected by the 50% tariff by the US. Out of the total $16 billion apparel exports, almost $5.6 billion is sent to the US."He said a high-level delegation would be visiting the UK next week. “I am confident that the implementation of the free trade agreement with the UK will be concluded soon, opening up new business opportunities for Tirupur. Likewise, trade discussions between India and the US are progressing smoothly, and I am hopeful that a trade agreement with the US will be finalised shortly, which will once again give a strong rebound to India’s exports.

”India Knit Fair Association chairman A Sakthivel said the 50% US tariff had not caused any job loss thus far and no companies had been shut down.