Pankaj Gupta, President of the Industries Association Uttarakhand (IAU), stated on Tuesday that industries in Uttarakhand are experiencing rising input costs and export disruptions as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking exclusively to ANI, Gupta explained that the situation is affecting supply chains and production expenses. “The ongoing war in the Middle East is impacting both supply and input costs. On the input side, costs have increased, while exports to the Middle East–particularly in sectors like pharmaceuticals, food processing, and handicrafts–have been disrupted, with no new orders coming in,” he said.
He also pointed to logistical difficulties linked to the conflict. “Shipments are being diverted from their usual routes, leading to higher logistics costs and increased transit time,” Gupta added.
The effects are notably felt in industrial clusters across the Dehradun district, especially in the Mahobewala and Selaqui areas, where multiple units engage in export-oriented manufacturing.
In a related development, President Donald Trump remarked that the United States could secure Iranian oil amid escalating conflict in West Asia. Responding to a question about securing Iran’s oil during a White House press briefing, Trump commented, “if I had my choice, I’m a businessman first.” He referenced US interactions with Venezuela to support this perspective.
“If I had my choice. Yeah, cause I’m a businessman first. We are a partner with Venezuela, and we’ve taken hundreds of millions of barrels,” he said.
Trump suggested a shift from US policy towards benefiting from wartime gains, stating, “You know that to the winner belong the spoils. Go for the spoils. I’ve said why don’t we use it to the victor go the spoils. We haven’t had that in this country, probably in a hundred years. We didn’t have it with the Second World War. We helped rebuild all those countries,” he added.