Make trade cool again: A well-crafted, flexible US-India trade agreement can unlock lasting economic opportunities
Returning to America, these ships carried prized Indian products: indigo dye and delicate silk. These imports reshaped American manufacturing, influencing textile production, dyeing methods and fashion trends. This historical exchange illustrates a timeless lesson: trade, at its core, fosters innovation and benefits both sides.
Today, that spirit of cooperation is under strain. Donald Trump's administration has embraced protectionism, aiming to bring manufacturing jobs back to American shores through a policy called 'Fair and Reciprocal Plan'. Underpinning this policy is frustration over trade imbalances and unequal market access. As the White House recently highlighted, 'The US average applied tariff on agricultural goods is 5%. But India's average applied tariff is 39%. India also charges a 100% tariff on US motorcycles, while we only charge a 2.4% tariff on Indian motorcycles.' Such tariff disparities have soured economic relations, even as the US and India have grown strategically closer.
India confronts its own urgent economic challenge. It must create millions of new jobs to employ its expanding young workforce. To achieve this, it needs to shift workers away from agriculture toward more productive manufacturing sectors. Yet, despite its ambitious 'Make in India' campaign, manufacturing has stalled, with India's manufacturing share of gross value added hovering stubbornly around 15% for decades.
At first glance, these goals — 'Make in India' and the US drive to restore manufacturing — may seem to