Bhopal: No tariff concessions have been granted on sugar, ethanol and several other agricultural products under the India–US trade deal, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said while speaking to reporters on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference at his residence in Bhopal, the minister described the recent trade deal between India and the United States as “historic and unprecedented”.
He said that under the India–US trade deal, no compromise has been made in the interests of Indian farmers, and no product that could harm them has been included in the agreement. All sensitive items have been kept outside the deal. No tariff concessions of any kind have been given on products such as sugar, ethanol, soybean, corn, rice, wheat, coarse grains, poultry, dairy, banana, strawberry, cherry, citrus fruits, green peas, chickpeas, mung beans, oilseeds and tobacco, he stated.
The minister said the agreement would give new momentum to the Indian economy and help it reach new heights. He added that the trade deal is not merely a commercial agreement but also a symbol of India’s rising global stature. It will not only strengthen the Indian economy but also provide it with a fresh direction, he said, noting that the agreement sends a clear message to the world.
Chouhan said many agricultural products from Indian farmers will now be exported to the United States at zero tariffs, while American agricultural products will not receive similar concessions in the Indian market. He added that India’s interests in agriculture and dairy have been fully protected.
He pointed out that the US has made significant tariff reductions on several agricultural products, cutting duties that were earlier as high as 50 per cent to zero. These include spices, tea, coffee, coconut, coconut oil, betel nut, cashew, vegetable wax, avocado, banana, guava, mango, kiwi, papaya, pineapple, mushrooms and some grains.
The minister said India’s agricultural exports stood at USD 4.45 billion in 2024–25, with spice exports recording an 88 per cent increase. Following the trade deal, he said, Indian spices are expected to gain a large new market in the United States.
