Premature to assess if US tariff cut in India's interest: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Tuesday said it would be premature to determine if the United States' decision to set an 18 per cent tariff on Indian goods is in the interest of the country, noting that complete details of the agreement are not yet available.

Her remarks came after an announcement by US President Donald Trump, who confirmed the deal after a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Under the new agreement, will bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from a total 50 per cent.

Reacting to the development, Mayawati said any immediate evaluation without adequate details would be hasty. She maintained that the actual impact can only be understood after the decision is implemented on the ground.

"After mutual agreements between India and the United States with several conditions, news of the US imposing an 18 per cent tariff -- whether it is in the interest of the nation and the public -- cannot be assessed in haste in the absence of complete information," she said in a post on X.

She said only after its actual implementation would it become clear how it affects the country, particularly the Bahujans, the poor, labourers, farmers and women.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister further suggested it would have been better if the government had explained the issue in detail during the ongoing session of Parliament. "This would have helped people get accurate and clear information on the matter," she added.