Can India’s ‘zero-for-zero’ approach tackle US reciprocal tariffs? Here’s its context, impact and more...

A Global Trade Research Initiative’s (GTRI’s) flagship report on Friday has put the spotlight on a plethora of possibilities for the Indian Government to tackle US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs that can potentially hit the Indian trade setup hard enough. One of which has pulled many eyeballs, including the government itself — India can consider a ‘zero-for-zero’ tariff approach, which is practically lowering import duties on select products that it does not import in higher quantities from the US as part of the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

On this note, government officials have revealed to a national media publication that the consideration was in full swing, and discussions commenced with stakeholders in sectors like automobiles and auto components, in which American imports cannot threaten domestic manufacturers on a large scale.