Customs duty changes in Budget part of ongoing reforms, not linked to US tariffs, says FM Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman February 2 said that the customs duty changes in the Budget for 2026-27 were not influenced by any policy decisions of the United States and are part of the Indian government’s ongoing efforts to rationalise such levies. The minister said customs duty adjustments have been made consistently in successive Budgets and the latest changes continue that approach. “We have changed customs and we have making custom changes in every Budget for a while now and we have continued the same in this Budget,” she said. Sitharaman added that these measures are part of a broader policy framework aimed at supporting Indian citizens and businesses. The minister also said the government did not assess the potential impact of US tariff actions while framing Budget proposals. “We did not make any assessment of the impact of US tariffs to factor them into Budget decisions,” she said. According to the minister, changes in customs duties and other policy measures for ...