Heavy rain lashes high ranges of Kerala; orange alert in four districts
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Intermittent heavy rain accompanied by strong winds lashed several parts of Kerala causing inundation, uprooting of trees and traffic snarls there on Monday.
The high ranges of southern Thiruvananthapuram and northern Kozhikode and Kannur districts experienced widespread rains and overcast climate throughout the day.
Heavy downpour that lasted for nearly an hour caused waterlogging in Thiruvananthapuram-Thenkasi road. Road traffic was interrupted in Elavattom in Palode road also for some time due to inundation in the evening.
In Kannur, flood water entered in the premises of some houses and commercial establishments. A wall reportedly collapsed upon a house in the district following heavy rains.
Houses were damaged in lightening in Mala in Thrissur district and Elanji in Ernakulam. Walls developed cracks and electric equipment damaged in such incidents, local people said. A family had a narrow escape after an uprooted tree fell upon their house in Pallippurm in Thrissur.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert in four districts -Ernakulam, Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode - predicting very heavy rainfall. The rest of the districts were placed under a yellow alert.
In the wake of heavy rain, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) asked people living in areas prone to landslides, mudslides, and flash floods to move to safer locations as directed by officials concerned.
Residents living along riverbanks and in areas downstream of dams should also relocate in advance, following official instructions, in view of possible danger, the SDMA said in a statement.
An orange alert refers to very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
