Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 26 : Criticising the additional 25 per cent tariffs to be imposed by the US on Indian goods as "grossly unfortunate and highly condemnable", CPI(M) MP John Brittas on Tuesday stated that Washington is treating India like a colony, noting that the tariffs were either " a sanction or an embargo".
Speaking to ANI, Brittas accused the US of "virtually" imposing a "trade blockade" on India while criticising the Indian government for its perceived subservience to American pressure.
"It's grossly unfortunate and highly condemnable that the US is treating India as a colony. In fact, this is not a tariff; it is a sanction or an embargo. So, virtually, it is a trade blockade on India," Brittas said.
He claimed that India is currently paying a price for its over-reliance on the US market, a strategy he believes the opposition has long cautioned against.
"We are paying the price for putting all the eggs in the US basket. We have always been telling the Indian government to be prudent and consider having an egalitarian and equitable foreign policy," he added.
The CPI(M) MP's remark came after the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a draft notice earlier today on the implementation of additional duties on products imported from India, following US President Donald Trump's announcement to increase tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.
According to the notice, the additional tariffs are being imposed to give effect to President's Executive Order 14329 of August 6, which specifies a new rate of duty on imports of articles that are products of India.
The draft notice, scheduled to be published on August 27, states that the US Secretary of Homeland Security has determined it necessary to modify the Harmonised Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) in line with the executive order, with the CBP further clarifying that the new duties will come into effect on August 27.
From 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on that day, the higher tariffs will apply to all Indian products that are either entered for consumption in the United States or withdrawn from warehouses for consumption.
The CPI(M) leader in his remark also aimed at the BJP-led NDA government, accusing it of being "servile to the United States" despite what he termed the US's "high-handed fashion" in imposing tariffs.
Brittas further urged the government to adopt a firm stance against the US decision, asserting that India should "not cave in to the pressure of the United States."
"The Indian government has been servile to the United States despite the US behaving in a high-handed fashion, accusing India of importing oil from Russia... The Indian government has to stand upright and challenge and oppose this monstrous decision of the United States. India is an independent, sovereign country. We should not cave in to the pressure of the United States," he stated.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained firm on Monday ahead of the 50 per cent US tariffs on Indian goods, effective August 27, saying his government will find a way out regardless of the economic pressure from Washington.
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