Picture Credit : @mkstalin/X
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has sought an early conclusion of the ongoing India-US trade negotiations, saying that exporters at knitwear hub Tiruppur have already lost ₹15,000 crore in confirmed orders and millions of jobs were at risk, describing it as a ‘looming humanitarian challenge’.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin said that in Tiruppur — the knitwear capital of India — exporters have resorted to production cuts of up to 30 per cent across units.
‘These tariffs are squeezing profit margins and compelling exporters to offer deep discounts just to retain their clientele, thus eroding their competitiveness and viability. The ripple effects are profound. Lakhs of jobs hang in the balance, with the sectors already witnessing layoffs and wage deferrals that threaten the stability of entire communities,’ Stalin said.
Hon’ble PM Thiru. @NarendraModi, Tamil Nadu is the backbone of India’s export economy. Punitive US tariffs are hitting this bedrock hard, disrupting production, orders and livelihoods across our industrial regions.
Urging immediate bilateral resolution to protect Tamil Nadu’s… pic.twitter.com/vbmQm9245G
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) December 18, 2025
Orders to Tiruppur, meanwhile, are getting diverted to competitors like Vietnam, Bangladesh and Cambodia, which have a current tariff advantage.
Highlighting the escalating crisis in Tamil Nadu’s export sectors, triggered by the punitive 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the United States on Indian exports, Stalin said that new orders are drying up at an alarming rate in Tiruppur and nearby areas.
‘This has translated into a combined daily loss of ₹60 crore in revenues for exporters in Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Erode and Karur districts, pushing many small and medium enterprises to the brink of collapse. A similar dismal scenario is witnessed in our footwear clusters in Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupatthur districts,’ he said.
