Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday urged the Centre to step in with immediate relief measures after the US raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, a move that has severely impacted exports from the state’s textile hub, Tiruppur.
In a post on X, Stalin warned that the steep tariff hike has hit Tamil Nadu’s exports to the tune of nearly ₹3,000 crore, putting thousands of jobs at risk.
“The US tariff hike has hit Tamil Nadu’s exports hard, especially Tiruppur’s textile hub. I reiterate my demands to the Union Government for immediate relief and structural reforms to safeguard industries and workers,” he wrote.
Earlier, on August 16, Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cautioning that the tariff decision could lead to layoffs across export-oriented industries, and had sought a special financial relief package to support exporters.
Industry leaders have echoed these concerns. K.M. Subramanian, president of the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association, said the hike has come as a shock to knitwear exporters, who account for ₹45,000 crore in exports annually and provide jobs to nearly one million people, 65% of them women.
“Currently, 30% of our exports, worth about ₹12,000 crore, go to the US. Buyers are already demanding discounts or cancelling orders. Low-value garment exports worth ₹2,000–2,500 crore annually are most at risk,” Subramanian noted.
He added that while Vietnam and Bangladesh face only 25% tariffs, Indian exporters now face double the burden at 50%, making them uncompetitive in the US market.
The US had initially imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods in early August, before President Donald Trump announced an additional 25% hike effective August 27, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
