Sudhir Sekhri, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman, and Vijay Agarwal, CEO of Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi and sought to bring to his attention some urgent issues regarding the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.
As per an official release, the Minister promised the industry members that the Government would make protection of India’s textile and apparel industries—the backbone of employment generation and export revenues—its top priority during the negotiating process.
Goyal heard out the industry’s concerns carefully and reiterated the Government’s intentions to protect labour-intensive sectors such as textiles and garments from negative consequences in the current trade talks.
The industry organisations cautioned that if the United States goes ahead with its proposal to impose an extra 26% reciprocal tariff on Indian imports, it could sharply hurt the nation’s garment and home textiles exports—sectors that are the pillars of India’s US export basket.
Sekhri and Agarwal both strongly objected to the consequences such tariffs can unleash, placing blame on the likelihood of reduced export volumes and employment losses across SMEs and rural manufacturing centers.
Indian apparel exports to America reached US $ 5 billion in FY 2024–25. The suspended US tariff increase is being stayed until 9th July, as an Indian delegation is still negotiating in Washington.
