Tuticorin: Amid concerns over the impact of a 50 per cent US tariff on Indian products, Union Ports Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday claimed that there has been no reduction in overall cargo shipments from India.
Almost 90 per cent of India’s foreign trade in terms of volume and 70 per cent of India’s foreign trade by value is transported through sea routes.
“We have not seen a reduction in overall cargo shipments from India,” Sonowal told PTI when asked to comment on the impact of a 50 per cent steep tariff imposed by Washington on Indian goods entering the US.
India and the US have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) since March. So far, five rounds of talks have been completed.
After a 50 per cent duty was imposed on August 27, the US team has deferred its visit to India for the next round of talks, which was scheduled from August 25.
No new dates have been finalised for the sixth round of negotiations.
Amid tensions between India and the US, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that at the end of the day, the two great countries will get this solved. Delhi’s values are much closer to ours and to China’s than to Russia’s.
During April-July, the country’s exports to the US increased 21.64 per cent to USD 33.53 billion, while imports rose 12.33 per cent to USD 17.41 billion, according to commerce ministry data.
The US was the largest trading partner of India in the April-July 2025-26 period (USD 12.56 billion bilateral trade). India’s exports to America have been recording a positive growth since April this year.
India has described the US move to levy a 25 per cent additional tariff on Indian goods as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.
At VOC Port, Sonowal paid tributes to the statue of the legendary freedom fighter VO Chidambaranar, commemorating his 154th birth anniversary.
At the event, the minister inaugurated the green hydrogen pilot project with a capacity of 10 Nm³/hr at VOC Port, making it the first port in the country to produce green hydrogen.
Established at a cost of Rs 3.87 crore, the project will generate green hydrogen to power street lights and an electric vehicle charging facility in the Port colony.
Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said India’s maritime sector is witnessing unprecedented progress.
Projects being launched will generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Tamil Nadu, boost trade, and attract global investments, positioning the state as a key contributor to India’s target of a USD 5 trillion economy by 2027 and a USD 1 trillion economy from Tamil Nadu alone by 2030.
Sonowal further highlighted that the VOC Port is set to become India’s Green Hydrogen and Ammonia hub with renewable energy and green bunkering.
The minister also expressed satisfaction over the capacity augmentation projects being carried out at the port.
He also laid the foundation stone for the Pilot Green Methanol Bunkering and Refuelling Facility, at a total cost of Rs 35.34 crore, with a capacity of 750 m3.
This project supports the use of alternative fuels and aligns with the planned Coastal Green Shipping Corridor between Kandla and Tuticorin.
