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India to remove retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. ag products
India has agreed to drop retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. ag exports, providing additional market opportunities for American farmers.
Dave Salmonsen, senior director of government affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the agreement is a win for producers.
“It was an extra 20% import duty. India has their base tariffs, they added 20% more for various products.”
The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office said Thursday India cut tariffs placed on chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnuts, and apples. They had been in place for five years in retaliation of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Salmonsen tells Brownfield India could be a major trading partner for other U.S. ag goods moving forward if more barriers are reduced.
“There’s a lot of work to do, but you get past that and see you’ve got over 1.3 billion people in India, potentially a really good growth market for U.S. agricultural products. I’ve heard people say India is now where China was 20 years ago.”
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the outcome underscores the competitiveness of America’s high-quality food and agriculture products.
