Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the reported tariff disparity affecting Indian garment exports to the United States, accusing the government of misleading the public and endangering the interests of cotton farmers and textile exporters.
In a post on X titled “18% Tariff vs 0% – Let Me Explain,” Gandhi alleged that the Modi government had failed to secure favourable terms for India under the India–US trade framework while Bangladesh was granted zero-tariff access for garment exports to the American market, subject to importing US cotton.
”Let me explain how a Prime Minister skilled in falsehoods and his Cabinet are spreading confusion on this issue — and how they are betraying India’s cotton farmers and textile exporters through the India–US trade agreement,” Gandhi wrote.
According to Gandhi, Indian garments are facing an 18 percent tariff in the US market, while Bangladesh is benefiting from a 0 percent tariff arrangement on the condition that it imports American cotton.
He said he raised the issue in Parliament, questioning why Bangladesh was receiving a special concession.
“After the announcement of an 18% tariff on Indian garments, when I raised in Parliament the issue of the special concession being granted to Bangladesh, a minister from the Modi government responded: ‘If we want the same benefit, we will have to import cotton from the United States,'” Gandhi stated.
He further asked, “Why was this fact hidden from the country until now.”
Gandhi described the situation as a policy trap, arguing that India faces a difficult choice. “If we import American cotton, our own farmers will be ruined. If we do not, our textile industry will fall behind and suffer severe damage,” he said.
Gandhi also warned that Bangladesh could reduce or stop cotton imports from India, which would further affect Indian producers.
”In India, the textile industry and cotton cultivation form the backbone of livelihoods. Crores of people depend on them for their survival. Any blow to these sectors means pushing millions of families into unemployment and economic distress,” he wrote.
The remarks come amid heightened political debate over trade negotiations and export competitiveness.
India’s textile sector is one of the country’s largest employment generators, particularly in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Cotton cultivation supports millions of farmers across central and western India.
Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet of striking a deal that could adversely impact both farmers and exporters. “A farsighted government acting in the national interest would have negotiated a deal that protected and ensured the prosperity of both cotton farmers and textile exporters,” he said.
”Instead, Narendra ‘Surrender’ Modi and his ministers have struck an agreement that could inflict deep harm on both sectors,” Gandhi added.
