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'India cannot remain mute spectator': Congress targets govt over Trump tariffs; claims US gutted WTO, WHO, and climate pacts

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The Times Of Indiapublisher-detail-arrow
01st August, 2025 11:02 IST
NEW DELHI: A Congress leader launched a scathing attack on the Centre on Friday for being silent over US President Donald Trump's 25% tariff move and said that the government should not rely on slogans, acronyms, and be a mute spectator.

  • Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed Trump and said that during his first term (Trump-I), the administration destroyed the World Trade Organization (WTO). In his second term (Trump-II), the organization has been effectively destroyed, meaning it no longer functions the way it was intended.

  • "The WTO had been dealt very heavy blows during Trump-I. It has been destroyed during Trump-II. The rules-based, multilateral trading system put in place with the US itself playing a leadership role has been finished off," Ramesh said in a post on X.


  • "The US's approach now is to negotiate--if at all--bilaterally but finally decide unilaterally. President Trump has also gutted the WHO and withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement and UNESCO. India has the highest stakes in such international accords and institutions. It cannot remain a mute spectator and be content with coining slogans and acronyms," he added.
  • The comments followed the US President's executive order detailing various duties to be levied on global exports to the United States. Indian exports to the US will be subject to a 25 per cent tariff. The executive directive notably omits mention of the additional penalty Trump had indicated India would incur due to its Russian military equipment and energy purchases.
  • Through a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump disclosed the 25 per cent tariff on India along with an additional penalty for New Delhi's Russian purchases. Whilst the initial tariff deadline was August 1, the new charges will be implemented from August 7.
  • Previously in April, Trump had declared a 26 per cent discounted reciprocal tariff for India, one percentage point higher than the current announcement. India's response to the US tariff declaration indicates it will implement all required measures to protect and advance national interests, whilst examining the implications of these tariffs.
  • On Thursday, commerce minister Piyush Goyal said India's commitment to taking necessary measures to protect national interests. This statement followed Trump's announcement of 25 per cent tariffs plus penalties on Indian exports to America from August 1.

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