India to take ‘all necessary steps’: What Piyush Goyal said in Parliament on Trump's 25% tariff move

India will take all necessary steps to safeguard and promote its national interest, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday, in response to the United States' decision to impose steep tariffs on Indian exports.

In a suo motu statement in both Houses of Parliament, Goyal said the government is closely examining the implications of the 25% tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump and is holding consultations with stakeholders, including farmers, exporters, MSMEs, and industry bodies.

"The Government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, exporters, MSMEs and all sections of industry. We will take all necessary steps to secure and advance our national interest," Goyal said.

He added that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is actively engaging with all concerned stakeholders to assess the situation.

The US on Wednesday announced a 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from India starting August 1, along with an unspecified penalty over New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian crude oil and defence equipment.

In a strongly worded post on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticised India’s trade policies, accusing the country of imposing some of the “highest” tariffs and “most obnoxious” non-monetary barriers globally. He also took aim at India’s growing energy and defence ties with Russia, describing both countries as “dead economies.”

The move comes just days after Indian officials indicated that a US trade delegation was expected to visit New Delhi on August 25 for the next round of trade negotiations. The timing of the announcement is being viewed as a pressure tactic to force India’s hand on key trade issues.

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett confirmed that President Trump is "frustrated" with the lack of progress on trade talks with India and believes the new tariff regime will "address and remedy" what he sees as an imbalanced trade relationship.