US places affected Indian imports in 10% forced-labour tariff tier

India says the US has set a 10% additional Section 301 tariff on affected imports, down from an initially proposed 12.5%. About 45% of India’s exports to the US, including generic drugs and smartphones, are exempt; textiles remain under negotiation.

— Filed Sat, 25 Jul, 2026, 16:43 IST · Source The Hindu BusinessLine · Updated

The US set a 10% Section 301 forced-labour tariff on affected Indian imports, below the initially proposed 12.5%. Exemptions cover 45% of India’s US exports, including generic drugs and smartphones; textiles remain under negotiation.

Why this matters

The tariff update follows India's PLI schemes drawing ₹2.4 lakh crore in investment and a monsoon deficit above 10% raising kharif supply and cotton-price risks, adding US-market trade exposure to retail supply planning.

Retail-company signals are accelerating, up 1,106,400% QoQ.

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