India on Friday said it was examining a White House report that placed the country among major global hubs allegedly vulnerable to the transshipment of Chinese goods aimed at circumventing US tariffs, while asserting that New Delhi has strong regulations to deal with such violations. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government had taken note of reports on the issue and would examine both the findings and the methodology used by the US administration. He said India has established laws and procedures covering customs, rules of origin and exports, and any violations detected are dealt with under the country's legal framework.
Jaiswal said the government had learnt about the US report on Friday morning and needed time to assess its contents before offering a more detailed response.
The report was prepared by the White House's Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy as part of Washington's efforts to prevent Chinese products from reaching the American market through third countries to avoid tariffs.
It categorised India along with Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and Taiwan in the top tier of economies identified as having substantial volumes of China-linked goods while also possessing diversified industrial bases and significant export platforms serving the US market.
The US report alleged that the risk of illegal transshipment in these economies existed alongside large volumes of legitimate trade.
It identified several of America's major trading partners as part of what it termed China's "shadow transshipment network", naming India among the countries it viewed as significant facilitators of China-linked trade.
According to the White House assessment, around $67 billion worth of goods destined for the United States were allegedly routed from China through three major hubs — Mexico, India and Vietnam — during 2025.
The report estimated that such trade resulted in approximately $28 billion in foregone US tariff revenue.
Transshipment involves moving goods through an intermediary country before they reach their final destination. While the practice is a routine part of global trade, concerns arise when products are rerouted or relabelled to conceal their actual country of origin and avoid applicable tariffs or trade restrictions.
India, however, has not accepted the US assessment, with the government saying it will first study the methodology and findings before commenting further.
Separately, the MEA rejected speculation that the government's decision to refer proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to a joint parliamentary committee was influenced by pressure from Washington.
Jaiswal maintained that India's legislative affairs were internal matters and that Parliament alone had the authority to decide on them.
He also dismissed reports suggesting external pressure over the proposed changes as misleading, reiterating that decisions concerning Indian legislation remained within the country's parliamentary process.