Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman, Sudhir Sekhri, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressing support for the government's efforts to protect farmers, dairy, textile industry and fishermen amid trade pressures from the United States.

Though AEPC expressed concern over the US' imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports, which it believed will impact the competitiveness of India's textile and apparel industry, it lauded the government for "not yielding to the unreasonable and unethical pressure of the reciprocal tariffs".

“The recent tariff hike by the US is indeed a huge challenge for merchandise exporters. However, we are of the firm belief that India’s principled and measured stand will ultimately benefit our nation’s economic interests in the long term. The government’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s progress and self-reliance is commendable," Sekhri wrote in his letter to PM Modi.

Indian textiles are globally valued for their quality, sustainability, and affordability, and such barriers risk disrupting long-standing supply chains built over decades, AEPC Chairman said.

With such a high tariff, the Indian apparels clearly risk being tossed out of the US market, he said, adding that the industry is nonetheless prepared to bite the bullet in the larger national interest.

The Indian apparel industry is already experiencing the effects of the tariff hike, with potential losses and order cancellations, and is looking into markets such as Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Chile, Russia, and the European Union, a release from APEC said.

"Given the EU's huge appetite for clothing consumption, we would like the FTA with EU to be fast-tracked to give the Indian apparel industry a level playing field vis-à-vis Bangladesh and Vietnam, who enjoy duty-free access in that market," said Mithileshwar Thakur, Secretary General AEPC.

The textile industry association said it is in active discussions with the ministers in the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and they have assured their best possible support in this crisis.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday warned that the US tariffs severely impacted the state’s exports, particularly the textile hub of Tiruppur, leading to major losses and threatening thousands of jobs. He urged the Centre to immediately roll out emergency relief measures and long-term structural reforms to safeguard workers and industries.