NEW DELHI: After Indian goods exports, the US is now targeting India’s services exports. A new bill, the “Halting International Relocation of Employment Act,” or “HIRE Act,” has been introduced in the Senate, proposing a 25% tax on certain payments US taxpayers make to foreign persons for services that benefit US consumers. The bill has been sponsored by Senator Bernie Moreno.
“While college grads in America struggle to find work, globalist politicians and C-Suite executives have spent decades shipping good-paying jobs overseas in pursuit of slave wages and immense profits – those days are over,” Moreno has said.
He further said that it’s time to fight for working-class Americans and ensure they can work and retire with dignity. If companies want to hire foreign workers instead of Americans, my bill will hit them where it hurts: their pocketbooks.
The HIRE Bill, if enacted, may make Indian IT services exports to the US expensive. The US accounts for over 50% of India’s software services exports, which was around $225 billion in 2024-25.
Earlier, similar voices have been raised by far-right US commentator Jack Posobiec, who had said in a social media post: “Tariff the foreign remote workers. All outsourcing should be tariffed. Countries must pay for the privilege of providing services remotely to the US, the same way as goods. Apply across industries, levelled as necessary per country.” The post was shared by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro.
Key provisions of the HIRE Act
The HIRE Act targets what it defines as an “outsourcing payment,” which includes any premium, fee, royalty, or service charge made in the course of a trade or business to a foreign person. The payment must be for labour or services whose benefits are directed, either directly or indirectly, to consumers in the United States. The proposed tax is equal to 25% of the payment amount.