US lawmakers urge Trump to push for lower Indian duties on pulses
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Photo: ANI
Two Republican senators from the United States have called on President Donald Trump to push for favourable terms for pulse crops in any future trade agreement with India, arguing that American farmers are at a disadvantage due to what they described as high and unfair tariffs imposed by New Delhi.
In a letter dated January 16, Senators Steve Daines of Montana and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said their states were the leading producers of pulse crops such as peas, while India remained the world’s largest consumer, accounting for roughly 27% of global demand. They noted that staples like lentils, chickpeas, dried beans and peas formed a significant part of the Indian diet, yet faced steep import duties when sourced from the United States.
The lawmakers pointed out that India had announced a 30% tariff on yellow peas on October 30 last year, which came into force from November 1, 2025. They argued that these measures had put US producers of pulse crops at a marked competitive disadvantage in the Indian market, despite the quality of their products.
Citing assessments by the US Trade Representative’s office, the senators said India’s average applied tariff on agricultural goods stood at 39%, compared to about 5% in the US. They also referred to technical regulations, market access barriers and other restrictions in sectors such as agriculture, which they said had limited American exports to India, TNIE reported.
Daines and Cramer said that raising the issue of pulse crop tariffs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi could strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries, and that easing these barriers would benefit both American farmers and Indian consumers.
While expressing appreciation for Trump’s efforts to support agricultural producers in Montana and North Dakota, the senators said that as trade talks progress, the President should prioritise securing favourable provisions for pulse crops in any agreement with India.
They recalled that during Trump’s first term, they had flagged the same concerns ahead of the 2020 trade negotiations with India, and said the President had personally delivered their letter to Modi, a move they claimed helped bring US producers into the negotiations.