India-US air cargo plummets to nine-year low amid Trump tariff spike

Air cargo movement between India and the United States has plunged to its lowest level in nine years following steep tariff hikes by the Donald Trump administration, according to a Times of India report citing official data.

Figures from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) show that India shipped 4,319 tonnes of goods to the US between January and June 2025, a sharp decline from 7,152 tonnes during the same period last year. Even at the height of the pandemic, freight volumes stayed between 5,000 and 9,000 tonnes, the data revealed. The last comparable dip occurred in 2016, when the figures hit 3,750 tonnes.