Mirzapur, Pathanamthitta among districts most exposed to Trump’s proposed tariffs

Mirzapur is in spotlight again

Mirzapur, the town in eastern UP and its famed carpets popularised by Kaleen Bhaiya in the hit series, is set to return to the spotlight, with a Moneycontrol analysis indicating it could be among the districts worst hit by Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs.

Analysis shows that of the more than 600 Indian districts engaged in exports, 117 shipped products in categories where the US accounted for over two-thirds of India’s outbound trade in FY25.

In Mirzapur, where carpet making dominates, over 60 percent of exports fall into these high-dependence categories—products where three-fourths of India’s shipments were bound for the US. Pathanamthitta in Kerala faces similar risks, with heavy reliance on the American buyer for turmeric oil, a food additive in high demand. The district exported ₹67.6 crore worth of turmeric oil in FY25.

The threat is not limited to these two districts. Bhadohi, Varanasi, and a wider cluster of carpet and handicraft hubs also have a high concentration of export value in US-dominated products, making them vulnerable to tariff shocks. Carpets, alongside electronics and gems and jewellery, rank among the top 20 exports from India to the US. In FY25, India exported $1.23 billion worth of carpets as part of its $86.5 billion goods trade with the US.

In cotton linen articles such as bed and toilet linen, Sehore in Madhya Pradesh is particularly exposed. Commerce ministry data shows that over a third of the district’s exports were in categories where the US was the dominant buyer. Udaipur in Rajasthan also faces risk, with 36 percent of its plastic strip exports potentially jeopardised by higher duties.

Even sectors outside textiles and handicrafts could feel the pinch. In Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, honey exports are at risk—32 percent of the district’s shipments were in categories where more than 78 percent of India’s total exports went to the US.

Last week, Trump raised India’s tariff rates to 50 percent from 25 percent, citing New Delhi’s ties with Moscow. The additional 25 percent duty will come into effect on August 27.

Discounting for exclusions and exemptions such as steel, aluminium, and certain other categories, the US’s average tariff rate on Indian goods now stands at nearly 32 percent—more than double the rates faced by exporters from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, and well above those of South Asian peers.