On December 10, 2025, during a US House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee hearing titled ‘The US-India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,’ Indian-origin Representative Pramila Jayapal cautioned that escalating tariffs are damaging India’s economy while hurting American businesses and consumers, citing a Washington State agricultural firm facing downsizing after 120 years due to reliance on Indian imports. She highlighted mutual tariff challenges amid President Trump’s December 8 threat of new duties on Indian rice exports, accused of dumping and harming US farmers, following 50% tariffs imposed on most Indian goods in August 2025 over Russian oil purchases. These tensions, coinciding with stalled US-India trade talks in New Delhi on December 10-11, risk eroding the vital strategic partnership crucial for Indo-Pacific stability, urging cooperative measures to safeguard interconnected supply chains and bilateral ties.