In a significant political development, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna and Congresswoman Deborah Ross have led a group of 19 U.S. lawmakers urging President Donald Trump to mend America’s strained relationship with India. The call follows Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, sparking concern among policymakers and trade experts.
Tariff Hikes Threaten Economic and Strategic Interests
The lawmakers’ joint letter emphasized that these tariffs have hurt both American manufacturers and consumers while jeopardizing a critical strategic partnership. “These actions have strained relations with the world’s largest democracy and created negative consequences for both countries,” they wrote, urging the administration to reset and repair the relationship.
Trade Ties Support Jobs in Both Nations
Representing districts with large Indian-American populations, the members highlighted that U.S.-India trade supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across both economies. They cautioned that continued tariff tensions could drive India closer to China and Russia — nations that directly compete with the U.S. for global influence.
Shared Democratic Values at Stake
The letter underscored that both countries share deep democratic traditions and values distinguishing them from authoritarian regimes. “Our partnership demonstrates to the world that free and open societies can prosper through cooperation and mutual respect,” the members noted.
India’s Strategic Role in the Indo-Pacific
Lawmakers warned that the tariffs come at a sensitive time when India is playing a stabilizing role in the Indo-Pacific region and collaborating in The Quad alliance alongside the U.S., Japan, and Australia. Maintaining strong U.S.-India ties, they said, is crucial to counter China’s expanding assertiveness.
Call for Policy Review and Reset
The letter’s signatories include prominent Indian-American members such as Raja Krishnamoorthi, Suhas Subramanyam, Pramila Jayapal, and Shri Thanedar. They urged the Trump administration to begin repairing ties by reviewing and reversing the recent tariff measures.
Last month, other U.S. lawmakers raised similar concerns, warning that aggressive trade policies could undermine America’s national security by alienating one of its key democratic allies in Asia.
