If adopted, the resolution would remove the additional tariffs and could help ease trade tensions between the United States and India, while reaffirming Congress’s constitutional role in shaping US trade policy
Three Democratic members of the US House of Representatives have introduced a resolution seeking to overturn steep import tariffs imposed on goods from India under a national emergency declaration issued in August 2025. The lawmakers argue that the tariffs, which reach as high as 50 percent on certain products, are unlawful, economically damaging, and detrimental to long-term relations between Washington and New Delhi.
The resolution targets the emergency declaration signed on August 6, 2025, which invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify the trade measures. If approved by Congress, the move would formally terminate the emergency order and roll back the additional duties levied on Indian imports.
The initiative was jointly introduced by Representatives Deborah Ross of North Carolina, Marc Veasey of Texas, and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. All three lawmakers have criticised the use of emergency powers to reshape trade policy without congressional approval, warning that such actions undermine both economic stability and democratic oversight.
- Under the tariff framework announced by the Trump administration, Indian goods were first hit with a 25 percent duty beginning August 1, 2025. Less than a month later, an additional 25 percent “secondary tariff” was imposed, effectively doubling the levy on several categories of imports
- The White House defended the move by pointing to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, arguing that the trade pressure was necessary in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine
However, the lawmakers sponsoring the resolution contend that the tariffs have had the opposite of their intended effect. Representative Deborah Ross highlighted the close commercial ties between India and North Carolina, particularly in technology and life sciences, noting that Indian firms have invested over $1 billion in the state and supported thousands of jobs. She warned that higher tariffs threaten investment, innovation, and employment.
Representative Marc Veasey echoed those concerns, describing India as a vital economic and strategic partner. He argued that the duties function like a hidden tax on American households already facing rising living costs. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian-American lawmaker, added that the tariffs disrupt supply chains, increase prices for consumers, and weaken US competitiveness without delivering meaningful security gains.
The House resolution comes amid growing resistance in Congress to the use of emergency declarations for trade actions. It follows a recent bipartisan Senate vote aimed at ending similar tariffs imposed on Brazil, signalling broader concern over executive overreach in trade policy.
