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US President Donald Trump has threatened India with additional tariffs on rice, escalating tensions amid India-Russia deepening ties. India already faces 50% US tariffs, including 25% on Russian oil imports.
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Washington DC: Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India was seen as a significant event on the global stage. The visit was considered symbolic of the depth of India-Russia relations and their decades-old friendship. Meanwhile, the US has already imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods, adding to the existing 25% tariff on Russian oil, bringing the total US tariff to 50%. Now, President Donald Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs on India's agricultural sector, particularly rice exports.
On Monday, Trump met with representatives of the US agricultural sector and key members of his cabinet at the White House. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins were also present at the meeting. Trump said that India is selling rice at cheap prices in the US market, which is called "dumping." He warned that this problem could be easily solved by imposing tariffs. He also announced $12 billion in federal aid for farmers.
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Louisiana agricultural entrepreneur Merrill Kennedy told Trump that India and Thailand are selling rice at cheap prices in the US. China is also exporting cheap rice to Puerto Rico. According to Kennedy, the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have been effective, but they need to be increased further. She said that this issue is also pending before the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Trump told Bessent that India would have to pay the tariffs. He suggested that the problem could be solved immediately by imposing tariffs on countries that are illegally dumping goods. India is the world's largest rice exporter. According to data from the Indian Rice Exporters Federation, India accounts for 30.3% of global rice exports. Varieties like Sona Masuri are most popular in the US and Australia.
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This action by the US is creating tension amidst the close relations between India and Russia. A 25% tariff is already in place on oil purchases from Russia. Experts say that if the US also increases tariffs on rice, it will have a significant impact on Indian agricultural exports. It could also affect India's competitiveness in the global market.
