Hyderabad: Hyderabad District Congress Committee President Syed Khalid Saifullah on Saturday opposed the Indo-US trade deal, warning that it would hurt industries, traders, and small businesses across the country.
Addressing a Maha Dharna organised by the Indian Youth Congress at Indira Park, Saifullah said the agreement finalised in February would significantly increase imports from the United States. He stated that imports, earlier around 50 billion dollars, could rise to nearly 500 billion dollars under the deal, putting pressure on domestic markets.
Indo-US trade deal impact on small businesses
Saifullah raised concerns over the impact on small and medium enterprises, particularly those supplying components to public sector units such as Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited. He said these firms could struggle to survive if cheaper imported goods dominate the market. As a result, the deal may also affect employment in these sectors.
He noted that previous Congress governments had maintained high import duties to protect domestic industries. Duties were around 37 per cent on many goods and reached up to 100 per cent on certain agricultural products. However, he said the current government had reduced these duties, in some cases to zero, allowing American products to enter India at lower prices.
Indo-US trade deal concerns over policy shift
Referring to remarks by former US President Donald Trump, who had once described India as a “tariff king,” Saifullah said the country had now moved in the opposite direction. He argued that the policy shift made it easier for American goods to access Indian markets.
Moreover, he expressed concern that the agreement was signed without discussion in Parliament. He said the absence of debate raised serious questions about transparency and accountability in policymaking.
“The Prime Minister may want to please US President Donald Trump. But the country will not accept policies that harm its people,” Saifullah said, urging workers and citizens to oppose the agreement.
Leaders and workers of the Youth Congress who attended the protest echoed similar concerns. They demanded a review of the deal and called for safeguards to protect domestic industries.