US tariffs: Bracing for pain, exporters cling to trade deal hopes

Workers, small business owners fear loss of livelihood as factories reduce operational hours amidst cancelling of orders

The lunch hour has just begun, along with a light drizzle under an overcast Faridabad sky. At a makeshift eatery in Sector 31, a group of export-unit workers sit down to eat, but the mood is uneasy. Someone breaks the silence: “There will be less work in the coming months”. 

“We thought this raar (dispute) with (US President Donald) Trump would blow over. But now it seems it will drag on. India bhi jhukega nahi (India won’t bow down either). And it’s daily wagers like us who will pay the price,” says 32-year-old Amit, an embroidery machine operator. A few