Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday said that India will study the United States Supreme Court order to strike down President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs and that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Commerce Ministry will issue the official statement.
“I have read in the media that the US top court has given some judgment and the Indian government will study that, and whatever the reaction needs to be given, that will be given by the Commerce Ministry and MEA, not by me,” Joshi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
His remarks are the first reaction from the central government after the US Supreme Court ruling.
What does the US Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s tariffs say?
In the 6-3 verdict, the US Supreme Court held that the reciprocal tariffs imposed by US President Trump on several countries, including India, are unconstitutional.
The top court further ruled that Trump exceeded his authority when he invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 to impose these tariffs.
Donald Trump’s 10 per cent tariff for 150 days: 5 questions answered
Trump criticized the ruling and slammed the six judges, including the three appointed by the Republican presidents, who delivered the judgment. He invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to announce 10 per cent tariffs on all countries. The rarely used section empowers the US President to impose up to 15 per cent tariffs for 150 days.
When asked about the recent India-US trade deal under which New Delhi will pay 18 per cent tariffs on its goods entering the American market, Trump said that nothing will change, and India
“Nothing changes. They’ll be paying tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs… PM Modi is a great man. He was much smarter than the people he was against in terms of the US… He was ripping us off. So we made a deal with India… We are not paying tariffs to them, and they are. We did a little flip,” Trump said.
However, the White House later clarified that the 18 per cent tariffs have now been struck down and India, like many other countries, would be charged 10 per cent tariffs. All countries with trade agreements with the US now drop to a 10 per cent tariff rate temporarily,” a White House official said.