India cannot remain ‘mute spectator’ as Trump destroys institutions like WTO: Congress

The Congress on Friday, 1 August, asserted that India has the highest stakes in institutions such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and WHO which are being "destroyed" and "gutted" by US President Donald Trump, and cannot remain a mute spectator while being content with coining slogans and acronyms.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the WTO had been dealt very heavy blows during Trump-I.

"It has been destroyed during Trump-II. The rules-based, multilateral trading system put in place with the US itself playing a leadership role has been finished off," Ramesh claimed.

The US's approach now is to negotiate -- if at all -- bilaterally but finally decide unilaterally, the Congress leader said in a post on X.

President Trump has also gutted the WHO and withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement and UNESCO, Ramesh said.

"India has the highest stakes in such international accords and institutions. It cannot remain a mute spectator and be content with coining slogans and acronyms," Ramesh said.

His remarks came after President Trump issued an executive order listing the various duties that Washington will impose on exports from countries around the world.

India will face tariffs of 25 per cent on its exports to the US.

The executive order, however, does not mention the penalty that Trump had said India will have to pay because of its purchases of Russian military equipment and energy.

On Wednesday, Trump, through a post on his social media website Truth Social, announced the 25 per cent tariff on India and an additional penalty for New Delhi's purchases from Russia.

While 1 August was the tariff deadline, the new levies will come into effect from 7 August.

In April, Trump had announced that India will face a 26 per cent discounted reciprocal tariff, a per cent higher than the rate announced now.

In its reaction to the US' tariff announcement, India has said it will take all necessary steps to safeguard and promote national interest and that the implications of the tariffs are being examined.

Slamming commerce minister Piyush Goyal's remarks in Parliament on US' tariff announcement as a "non-statement", the Congress on Thursday said all he engaged in was "totally misplaced self-congratulation" and claimed that the concerns and sentiments of Indian businesses were simply not addressed.

Goyal on Thursday said India will take all necessary steps to safeguard and promote national interest. His remarks came a day after Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs plus penalty on domestic exports to America from 1 August.