India, China among 16 US trading partners hit by Trump's tariff probes

The Trump Administration has initiated a fresh trade investigation into manufacturing practices in several foreign economies, placing India among the countries under scrutiny. The move was announced by the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and could eventually lead to new import duties on goods entering the United States. The administration will begin investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which could eventually lead to new import taxes.
Countries under the scanner include US’s largest trading partners such as China, the European Union, Mexico, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladesh will also be investigated by the Trump administration. The decision to open a new investigation comes shortly after the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated an earlier attempt by the Trump administration to impose tariffs using emergency economic powers. The court ruled that the administration’s justification for declaring an economic emergency was not legally sustainable.
During a briefing with reporters, Greer argued that several major trading partners have significantly expanded manufacturing capacity in ways that are not aligned with actual market demand. According to him, such expansion may distort global trade and harm American industries. The development comes even as India and the US recently announced a new bilateral trade agreement. Under the arrangement, the Trump administration reduced tariffs on Indian goods from 50 percent to around 18 percent, a move both sides described as a major breakthrough.India has been subject to 25 per cent tariffs from the US after President Trump's ‘Liberation Day’ exercise. However, the US President announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on India as a penalty for “buying Russian oil and fuelling the war in Ukraine.” While scant details have been shared by the India-US trade deal, both countries have hailed the deal as a ‘historic one’.