Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief and MLA from Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that the India-US trade agreement has major consequences for Kashmir’s apple industry.
He said that the exemptions on US imports, particularly apples, are a disappointing development that will hamper the prospects of the Jammu and Kashmir horticulture industry.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, he said that horticultural produce, including dry fruits, faces zero per cent tariffs, while Indian exports continue to face 19 per cent tariffs. The deal between the two nations sees the majority of US imports facing zero tariffs, while Indian goods will continue to incur tariffs.
“The move amounts to surrender before Donald Trump and America, and the deal would more likely deal a crushing blow to Jammu and Kashmir’s fruit industry, which remains a major contributor to the region’s overall economy,” he said.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick met his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in an unscheduled visit to Delhi on Thursday, after the US Supreme Court dismissed US President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs.
This also comes at a time when the Trump administration imposed a new 10 per cent tariff effective February 24, which is set to increase to 15 per cent wherever necessary in the coming days.
The US-India trade deal has particularly caused concern among the Indian farming community, as the country remains one of the major agricultural economies in the world.
The prospects of US goods entering the Indian market would severely hamper the fortunes and livelihood prospects of the farmers, which were earlier protected. However, the Narendra Modi government has assured Indian farmers that their rights and interests would be protected at all costs.
Also read: Tourism bounces back in Kashmir after Pahalgam attack
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