Days after US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Leslie Rollins highlighted that the India-US trade deal would expand opportunities for American farm exports, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) told that India has substantial potential to increase imports of US agricultural products, which had previously been limited by “high” and “unjustified” tariffs.
A USDA spokesperson said that reducing these barriers, along with reforms to India’s subsidy programs, could create a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade environment for both countries. The spokesperson also pointed to the USDA’s Three-Point Plan, launched in September 2025, which aims to address the $50 billion US agricultural deficit through market promotion, quick responses to reciprocal trade agreements, and support for rural communities.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal assured the Rajya Sabha that India’s key concerns in food and agriculture were fully considered during the trade negotiations. Following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the deal, Rollins emphasized on social media that the agreement would boost exports of American farm products to India, raising prices and supporting rural American economies. In 2024, the US had a $1.3 billion agricultural trade deficit with India, and the deal is expected to help reduce it.
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India’s agricultural imports from the US mainly include fresh fruits, dry fruits, nuts, alcoholic beverages, cotton, vegetable oils, and processed items, which totaled $2.4 billion in 2024. Conversely, India exported $6.2 billion worth of agricultural products to the US, including marine products, spices, dairy, rice, and herbal items, representing nearly 12% of India’s total agricultural exports.
The two countries also resolved a long-standing poultry dispute at the WTO in 2023, resulting in tariff reductions on products like frozen turkey, duck, and various berries. While the US aims to export soybeans, wheat, maize, and rice to India, Indian Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has repeatedly assured that Indian farmers’ interests will remain protected.
Chouhan reiterated in the Lok Sabha that Free Trade Agreements are negotiated only after safeguarding Indian agriculture, allied sectors, and small farmers, with sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy shielded from unfair competition. His office clarified that no market segment has been opened in a way that could harm Indian farmers, and confusion caused by recent US statements had already been addressed by Commerce Minister Goyal in Parliament.