Trump tariffs: Net shutdown, localisation of data among new bugbears

NEW DELHI: High tariffs in India have been a pet peeve for the US, and this year's US Trade Representative's annual listing of trade barriers is no different as the report, released on the eve of reciprocal tariff announcement, flagged concerns over high levies on several items, including automobiles, alcohol, and farm products.The year's report has, however, added internet shutdown and open internet as well asdata localisation requirements and new roaming rules related to eSIMs to the list."India has conducted a number of localised shutdowns of internet in recent years. These shutdowns restrict access to information and services, disrupting commercial operations, and thereby undermining a free and open internet and impeding trade in digital economy. The US continues to monitor the impact of these events on US trade and investment, including services exports," the latest National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers released Monday stated.The report, based on feedback from American industry, is released in March each year.The addition of shutdowns and open internet comes weeks after X, owned by Elon Musk, a close aide of US President Trump, moved the Karnataka HC challenging the way the Centre and states were issuing orders to block content on the microblogging platform.Similarly, it has flagged its concern over TRAI's security restriction mandating all machine-to-machine devices utilising embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) cards with international roaming arrangements be switched to domestic mobile network operators within six months. USTR has argued that this may impose additional costs on manufacturers and users of M2M devices, and does not align with global practices.A bulk of the report, however, focused on the tariff concerns that the American industry brought before USTR, most of which are a repeat of what was said last year. For instance, vegetable oils (45%); apples, corn, and motorcycles (50%); automobiles and flowers (60%); natural rubber (70%); coffee, raisins, and walnuts (100%); and alcoholic beverages (150%) were among the items with high applied levies. High tariff for agricultural products - from potatoes to poultry, almonds, apples, pecans, grapes and frozen French fries, were the other products where the protest was lodged in line with what Trump has been saying.USTR also raised red flags over several genuine import checks that govt deploys, including licensing of goods, quality checks and standards, arguing they were hampering export of American products. "No US president in modern history has recognised the wide-ranging and harmful foreign trade barriers American exporters face more than President Trump," USTR Jamieson Greer said in a statement.