Tiruppur exporters forced to offer discounts on US knitwear shipments to avoid losses
The knitwear capital of India is grappling with unsold goods worth ₹3000 cr amid rising US tariffs
Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu): Facing the impact of a steep 50% tariff hike on apparel exports to the United States, Tiruppur's knitwear exporters have begun offering discounts to move stock and avoid mounting losses. Several manufacturing units that depend entirely on the US market have reportedly stopped production.
According to KM Subramanian, president of the Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA), the absence of any positive developments has left exporters with no choice but to ship completed knitwear orders to the US at discounted prices.
“Currently, our exporters are offering discounts of 2% to 5% to US buyers and shipping orders. In addition, orders from the US are likely to be affected as US buyers are not ready to face higher import tariffs on new orders. We will meet the central government officials in this regard in a few days,” The New Indian Express quoted Subramanian as saying.
N. Thirukumaran, general secretary of TEA, said that US buyers have asked exporters to hold previously placed orders, citing the tariff hike. This has resulted in Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore worth of knitwear stagnating in Tiruppur, much of it custom-made for US brands and unsellable in other markets.
Thirukumaran also noted that around 30% of companies in Tiruppur export 80–100% of their output to the US, making them particularly vulnerable to the disruption.
“Currently, exporters are trying to cope, but the situation should not last. The central government should take appropriate steps, and concessional schemes should be announced for exporters. In particular, a two-year moratorium for exporters on repayment of principal amounts of bank loans must be granted, apart from a special emergency credit facility for exporters,” he added.
Local exporter P. Shanmuga Sundaram shared that he has Rs 15 lakh worth of knitwear ready for shipment, but his US-based buyer has asked him to keep the consignment on hold due to tariff uncertainty.
In the last financial year, Tiruppur exported knitwear worth Rs 44,747 crore, with the US accounting for around 35% of the total shipments.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
