PM Modi on Tariffs: “Ready to Pay the Price” to Protect Farmers and Fishermen

Following the announcement of a further 25% penalty tariff on Indian imports by the American President Donald Trump, it now raises the duty of Indian goods up to 50%. Prime Minister Narendra Modi fired back after the implementation of these tariffs. Speaking at the M. S. Swaminathan Centenary International Conference in Delhi, Modi stated that there is no way that India will compromise in the interests of its farmers, livestock holders, and fishermen.

This was Modi’s first public reaction after Trump’s latest trade move, which has further strained India-US trade talks. The trade negotiation deadlock has mainly revolved around the US pushing for greater agricultural and dairy market access in India, a proposal New Delhi has consistently resisted to protect domestic producers. These tariffs have added new pressure on already-stalled talks.

India’s shrimp exports and other agricultural products are among the sectors expected to bear the brunt of these new duties. The move has been widely seen as linked to India’s continued oil imports from Russia, which the US claims violate its sanctions strategy. However, the Ministry of External Affairs called the tariff decision unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable, stating that India’s energy choices are based on market conditions and the need to ensure energy sovereignty for its population of 1.4 billion.

The ministry said, “Targeting India for importing Russian oil, while many other countries do the same, is extremely unfortunate. We will take all necessary steps to protect our national interest.”

Too have tensions between the two nations have increased due to geographic events, especially after Operation Sindoor, an Indian military operation in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.Trump claimed he helped mediate peace between India and Pakistan, but PM Modi denied any external influence on India’s decisions. “We said from day one that Operation Sindoor was non-escalatory. No leader asked us to stop,” he clarified during a Parliament debate.

India’s consideration of tariffs increases trade friction, as Donald Trump’s remarks about India signalling a hard-line approach to trade reiterated Modi’s response made early in his presidency – India’s priority was clear – strategic autonomy, and the nation held itself ready to undergo some short-term pain to protect her long-term sovereignty. The implication is that the nation was willing to pay costs to protect its people and afford good trading terms in the global context.