Trade unions, farmers to protest against Trump tariffs on August 13
The CTUs-SKM demanded that India dismiss Trump's threats and assert the nation's sovereign right to trade with any nation, including Russia.
Central trade unions and farmers have called for a nationwide protest on August 13 to oppose US President Donald Trump's tariff threats and the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
The CTUs-SKM, a group of ten central trade unions and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, strongly condemned the recent threats by Trump to impose 25 per cent tariffs on India, and an additional penalty for the nation's oil purchase from Russia.
It said in a statement, "CTUs-SKM calls upon all farmers, workers, students, and patriotic citizens to join the nationwide day of resistance on August 13, 2025, with various mass actions like tractor and motorcycle rallies, protest demonstrations, public gatherings, and other forms of protest as decided by different platforms and partner organizations."
The CTUs-SKM demanded that India dismiss Trump's threats and assert the nation's sovereign right to trade with any nation, including Russia. They also said that the India-UK CETA must be reassessed and altered immediately, news agency PTI reported.
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They said that all negotiations for a trade deal between India and the US must be paused immediately to prevent any further corporate exploitation.
No more secret trade agreements, they said, stressing that public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny are a must for all future deals.
They drew parallels from the East India Company's colonisation of India through trade and said that similarly, CETA and the US trade deals are the new instruments of corporate imperialism.
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The statement said that farmers and workers will rise on August 13 to defend India's sovereignty and freedom, sending a clear message. They added that the US deal and CETA are a blatant act of economic coercion aimed at dictating India, including its trade with Russia.
According to CTUs-SKM, such threats expose the hypocrisy of the US trade policies, which demand open markets for American corporations and weaponise tariffs to bully other nations.
It added that the Indian government's 'meek submission' to these threats is equally alarming, reflecting the nation's growing compliance with Western imperialist interests.
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"This surrender is further evident in the recently signed India-UK Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA), a deal that sacrifices the interests of India's farmers, workers, and economic independence at the altar of foreign corporate profits," it stated.
The trade unions and SKM also expressed discontent over the Centre's 'silence' against this intimidation, which they said shows New Delhi's willingness to compromise on its strategic autonomy for the US.
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The statement added, as cited by PTI, "This capitulation paves the way for an even more exploitative India-US trade deal, which would grant American agri-business corporations like Cargill unrestricted access to India's dairy sector, agriculture, resulting in collapsing prices & destroying the farming community along with endangering food security of the nation."
The group pointed out that the India-US trade deal and India-UK CETA could trigger de-industrialisation in the country and promote unemployment.
The India-UK CETA, it said, is also a direct attack on the nation's food security, healthcare, and economic self-reliance.
