India will impose no duties on import of several goods...

India will impose no import duties on several goods used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries and mobile phones amid broader tariff cuts to help local producers withstand the potential impact of reciprocal US tariffs, Reuters reported, quoting finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who said: “We aim to boost domestic production and enhance export competitiveness by reducing duties on raw materials.” 

India will exempt from import duty 35 items used to make EV batteries and 28 items used in mobile phone manufacturing, she said. India has been preparing to mitigate the impact of US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs set to take effect from April 2.

Reuters reported that India was open to cutting tariffs on more than half of the US imports worth $23 billion in the first phase of a trade deal that the two nations are negotiating, citing two government sources. Last week, an Indian parliamentary committee recommended that the government cut tariffs on the import of raw materials to support local manufacturers.