 "ILLUSTRATION: BINAY SINHA")
Indian exports to the US are caught in a “shrimp or smartphones” dilemma. Exporting large volumes of labour-intensive products such as shrimp creates jobs and shores up small businesses. Shipping technology-intensive smartphones, on the other hand, enhances export earnings as they are high-value goods.
The trouble is, it’s not a level playing field. In the age of US President Donald Trump’s tariff tantrums, the US has exempted Indian smartphones and pharmaceuticals — both seen as technology- -intensive sectors — from all duties, leaving labour-intensive sectors to bear the brunt of tariffs that can be as high as 50 per cent.
