Indian exporters of products ranging from home decor to leather shoes are worried about missing the US summer shopping season if they are unable to lock in orders in January as trade-deal talks drag on between New Delhi and Washington. This will be the decisive month for sealing the trade pact so contracts can be secured for the first half of 2026, according to half a dozen local exporters who spoke to Bloomberg News. The punitive 50 per cent US tariffs since August already hurt the exporters' order volumes in the typically busy winter and Christmas season in 2025.

One of steepest levies imposed by the Donald Trump-administration continue to deal a heavy blow to India's labor-intensive sectors, especially textiles, handicrafts, apparels, gems and leather. Despite multiple rounds of talks, including four conversations between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi since August, the slow progress in the trade deal has pressured the rupee and forced New Delhi to dole out $5 billion to protect Indian exporters. Rafeeque Ahmed, chairman of Farida Group that is one of the largest shoemakers in India, said Jan. 15 is the cutoff date for securing bulk orders from the US to ensure stable revenue for the summer and autumn seasons. The Tamil Nadu-based company derives about 60 per cent of its export revenue from American markets.