Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern that the steep 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian textiles will hit Dalit workers the hardest. The tariffs came into effect yesterday and are expected to deal a major blow to the state’s textile industry, one of the largest in the country.
Stalin pointed out that Dalits, who make up nearly 60 per cent of the workforce in the garment sector, will bear the brunt of the crisis. He warned that up to three million jobs in Tamil Nadu’s textile and apparel sector are now at immediate risk.
“Tiruppur alone, which is the largest knitwear manufacturing and export hub in India, employs thousands of people from economically weaker families,” Stalin said in his letter. He added that the new tariffs would devastate livelihoods, especially among Dalit and marginalized communities who depend on the industry for survival.
The United States is India’s biggest market for apparel, accounting for about one-third of all exports. But with the new duties, India is at a sharp disadvantage compared to competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnam, where tariffs are only 20 per cent, and Indonesia and Cambodia, where they are 19 per cent.
Exporters in Tamil Nadu have already halted or delayed shipments, while global retail chains including Walmart, Target, Amazon, Kohl’s, Gap Inc., and H&M have asked suppliers to pause consignments until there is more clarity on the situation. Many exporters say they are being forced to fulfil existing orders at a loss.
In villages like Allapuram and Mannapalayam in Tiruppur district, where Dalit communities form a large part of the population and the workforce, the impact is expected to be severe. Local workers, many of them from the Arunthathiyar community and other scheduled castes, fear widespread job losses if the crisis continues.
“The textile sector is our lifeline,” Stalin warned, urging the Prime Minister to intervene and safeguard the jobs and livelihoods of millions who are now facing uncertainty.
