Govt plans Rs 2,250 crore export push to counter Trump tariffs

The government is likely to roll out support measures under the proposed Rs2,250 crore export promotion mission in the coming weeks to shield Indian industry from the fallout of steep U.S. tariffs, a senior official said.“We are in dialogue with exporters to see how we can support them best in different ways, like ease of doing business. We are looking at how to give a boost to domestic consumption. We are looking at new supply chains, which we can capture, new markets, and new products,” the official noted.
The mission is expected to feature components such as easy credit schemes for MSME and e-commerce exporters, facilitation of overseas warehousing, and global branding initiatives aimed at tapping emerging export opportunities.Announced in the Union Budget on February 1, the Rs2,250 crore initiative has been in the works for months. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) presented the plan to export promotion councils and industry stakeholders on April 30.
According to information, the mission will have two broad pillars — NIRYAT PROTSAHAN, focused on trade finance support, and NIRYAT DISHA, aimed at driving holistic international market access.The move comes as the commerce ministry intensifies consultations with exporters on the challenges arising from U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Indian goods. Sectors such as textiles, chemicals, leather, and footwear are expected to be among the hardest hit.In parallel, the GST Council is likely to convene soon to discuss rate simplification, rationalisation, and the future of the compensation cess — measures expected to spur domestic consumption.
India’s export performance has already shown signs of strain. In June, outbound shipments were flat at $35.14 billion due to global economic uncertainties, though the trade deficit narrowed to a four-month low of $18.78 billion. Key export categories, including petroleum, fabrics, gems and jewellery, leather, iron ore, oilseeds, cashew, spices, tobacco, and coffee, recorded negative growth.For April–June FY26, exports edged up 1.92% year-on-year to $112.17 billion, while imports rose 4.24% to $179.44 billion,according to information.

(Business Correspondent)