Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urgently seeking a resolution to the 50% punitive US tariffs on Indian exports. The Chief Minister highlighted that the state’s textile, leather, and footwear sectors are facing a “looming humanitarian challenge” due to mass layoffs and revenue losses. Exporters in hubs like Tiruppur have already reported a loss of ₹15,000 crore in confirmed orders.
The impact is particularly severe given that Tamil Nadu contributes 28% of India’s textile exports and 40% of its leather exports, collectively employing over 8.5 million workers. The tariffs are currently resulting in a combined daily revenue loss of ₹60 crore for exporters across the Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, and Karur districts.
CM Stalin warned that international buyers are rapidly diverting orders to competitors in Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. He emphasized that once these supply chains shift, regaining the lost market share will be an “uphill battle,” potentially causing irreparable damage to the future employment of youth and women in the state.