<h1>US tariffs classified as sanctions impede Indian exports and prompt urgent calls for export market diversification.</h1> US-imposed tariffs, including an additional penalty tied to purchases of Russian oil, have made exports to the US commercially unviable, caused concentrated job losses in sectors such as gems and jewellery in Surat and seafood and manufacturing, and are characterized as sanctions distinct from ordinary tariffs. The operative response urged is export-market diversification, active trade negotiations to seek reduction of the basic tariff and mitigation or removal of the penal charge, and broader diplomatic engagement to secure uniform treatment for energy purchasers while offsetting lost market access.