The US is planning to impose 100% tariffs on some countries like India for buying Russian oil. If this tariff is imposed, India’s exports to the US market will be greatly affected. However, experts have said that if the US market is left out, India has an export opportunity of $200 billion to 15 countries of the world. Economist SP Sharma said that there are such alternative market opportunities for India in 15 countries. In the event of restrictions, special dependence on the US will be affected. Merchandise worth $87 to $88 billion is being exported to the US. However, there is a much higher amount of opportunity in 15 other alternative markets. Countries like the Netherlands, France, Britain, Latin America, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Nepal are included in this list.
India exported merchandise worth $87.3 billion to the US in 2025-26. It was $84.5 billion in 2024-25. Despite the challenging global market situation and US tariffs, India continues to export to the US. Mr. Sharma further said that exports to the US have increased despite the restrictions due to the demand for Indian goods. Due to manufacturing competitiveness in India, exporters have been able to withstand the tariff pressure. However, the US is not a fast-growing destination for Indian products. Demand for Indian goods has increased in other markets.
While the US market has grown by 10-15%, the growth of Indian exports to other markets has been 20-25%. In view of this, the US economy should not be so dependent on it. Bilateral economic relations between India and the US are strong. The two countries are in talks for a bilateral trade agreement. 100% tariff will hit both economies. High tariffs on Indian goods will also make them expensive for US consumers. As India supplies relatively cheap goods, the prices of these goods will increase manifold due to tariffs.
Instead of benefiting trade for both the countries, high tariffs will encourage trade wars. America has made this announcement in view of high inflation. Mr. Sharma said that both the countries should resolve the problem through dialogue. For information, after the high tariffs of America, India is entering into free trade agreements (FTAs) with various countries. By August 2026, a total of 39 countries including 9 major countries have joined this list. India aims to strengthen this trend further.
