Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has voiced significant concern over a disturbing trend: India’s tariff-free exports to the United States are on a noticeable decline, and it’s definitely not just a seasonal dip. Speaking out on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, Ramesh highlighted an analysis by the reputable New Delhi-based Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), which presents a worrying picture, even if the data covers only four months.
While a decrease in exports due to higher tariffs imposed by the U.S. might be somewhat expected, Ramesh expressed bewilderment over the drop in products that are supposed to be tariff-free. ‘Why and how are India’s TARIFF-FREE exports to the USA falling?’ he questioned in a post on X.
The GTRI report details a concerning fall across various sectors, including gems and jewellery, seafood, textiles, garments, and chemicals. More strikingly, India’s exports of tariff-free goods plummeted from $3.37 billion in May 2025 to $1.96 billion by August 2025. This downturn notably includes vital sectors such as pharmaceuticals and, perhaps most surprisingly, smartphones.
India’s smartphone exports, a significant contributor to its trade with the U.S., saw a drastic 58% reduction, falling from $2.29 billion in May 2025 to just $964.8 million in August. This development is particularly alarming and counter-intuitive, given that smartphones are not subject to tariffs. The GTRI emphasizes that this consistent monthly decline ‘demands urgent investigation to uncover the real reasons that are driving the fall.’
Overall, tariff-free products, which constituted 28.5% of India’s August exports, experienced the sharpest contraction, dropping by 41.9%. The pharmaceutical sector also showed a weakening trend, with exports decreasing by 13.3%, from $745 million in May to $646.6 million in August, further underscoring the broad nature of these export challenges.