India, March 28 -- New Delhi The government's customs duty rationalisation is an ongoing exercise started since 2023, much before the Donald Trump administration's call for retaliatory tariff, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday, adding that the exercise would continue in future as it aims to boost domestic manufacturing and ease price burden on citizens.

Rebutting comments of the Opposition members made in Rajya Sabha during a discussion on the Finance Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2025 that the government is reducing customs duties and other levies under pressure of President Donald Trump, she said the exercise is consistent "budget after budget" in lines with the government's focus to boost manuf...