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Trade & Tariffs·Settled

USTR places India in the lower tariff tier under new forced-labor rules

Most coverage missed who actually pays a tariff — it isn't the exporting country.

Video brief attached — companion piece with more detail.
How could this affect you
Traced by who's actually in the path of this — not everyone is.
Direct
If you're an Indian exporter
The new 10% duty stacks on whatever base tariff already applies — and if your sector isn't exempted, U.S. buyers have a fresh incentive to shop elsewhere.
Direct
If you're an American consumer
Tariffs are paid by the importer, not the exporting country — so U.S. businesses absorb the cost first and often pass some through in retail prices.
Likely
If you export textiles from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, or Malaysia
A new textile-specific quota mechanism shifts your relative price advantage against India.
Possible
If you follow US–India relations
This is one piece of a larger, unresolved negotiation toward a full trade deal.
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