Category: General
Country: India
Region: Asia
By Anne Flynn Wear -Assistant Managing Editor
2nd February, 2026.
Washington – President Donald Trump said on Feb. 2 that he plans to lower tariffs on goods from India to 18%, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil, according to the Associated Press.
The move comes after months of President Trump pressing India to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude. India has taken advantage of reduced Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
President Trump said that India would also start to reduce its import taxes on U.S. goods to zero and buy $500 billion worth of American products. The changes are effective without delay, although the terms of the deal have not yet been released.
Few home furnishings sectors have felt the impact of the 50% tariffs on Indian goods more acutely than volume home textiles manufacturers in that country as well as the U.S. importers and retailers who carry their merchandise. India has been one of America’s primary sources for cotton bedding, terry towels and handmade rugs.
For the first 11 months of 2025 (the latest data available), India accounted for the largest percentage of total cotton sheets imported into the U.S. (45%) and the largest volume of terry towels (38%), according to U.S. government figures.
On Aug. 27, President Trump raised the tariff on Indian goods to 50%. He implemented the additional tariff as a penalty for India’s continued importation of Russian oil, according to a White House executive order.
Courtesy: hometextilestoday.com
Copyrights © 2026 GLOBAL TEXTILE SOURCE. All rights reserved.
