India plans relief package for exporters hit by US tariffs
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India will roll out a package of measures to help exporters hurt by a surge in U.S. tariffs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday. The new U.S. duties slapped on Indian goods last month included a 25% punitive levy over New Delhi's Russian oil purchases - taking overall duties as high as 50% on a wide range of items from garments and jewellery to footwear and chemicals. "Government will come out with something to handhold those who have been hit by 50% tariffs," Sitharaman told CNBC TV18, without going into further detail. The government plans to offer credit guarantees on loans overdue by up to 90 days for small businesses and exporters, Reuters reported earlier, citing government sources.Exporters said labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, jewellery and seafood, particularly shrimp - which all operate on margins of just 3%-5% - have been hit hardest, causing job losses in industrial hubs in Tamil Nadu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi...