US President Donald Trump
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India was celebrated like a celebration. Which the whole world saw. Also realized how deep is the relationship between Russia and India. The friendship between Russia and India is not recent. It is decades old. Putin was not visiting India for the first time. But the current circumstances made this tour special. Especially when America has imposed an additional tariff of 25 percent on India’s purchase of Russian oil. 25 percent tariff is already imposed. This means that at present the highest American tariff imposed on India is 50 percent. Now Trump has got another opportunity to impose tariffs on India. This time his target is India’s agriculture sector. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Indian rice. Let us also tell you what is the whole matter?
Trump meets with American agricultural representatives
US President Donald Trump has said that India should not dump (sell at cheap prices) rice in the US market and he will deal with the matter. Trump warned that this problem would be easily solved by imposing tariffs. On Monday, Trump held a roundtable meeting at the White House, the official residence and office of the US President, with representatives of the farming and agriculture sector and key members of his cabinet, especially Finance Minister Scott Besant and Agriculture Minister Brook Rollins. He announced $12 billion in federal aid for farmers.
India is dumping rice in America
Merrill Kennedy, who runs her family’s farming business Kennedy Rice Mill in Louisiana, told Trump that rice growers in the southern part of the country are really struggling and that other countries are dumping rice into the US market, that is, selling rice at very cheap prices. When Trump asked which countries were selling rice to America at cheap prices, Kennedy, sitting next to the President, replied, India and Thailand; Even China is selling rice to Puerto Rico at cheap prices. Puerto Rico was once the largest market for American rice. We have not shipped rice to Puerto Rico for many years. Kennedy said the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are working, but we need to increase them further.
Trump threatens tariff on Indian rice
Trump then looked at Besant and said, India, tell me about India. Why is India allowed to do this? They will have to pay fees. Do they have a discount on rice? On this Besant said, no sir, we are currently negotiating a trade deal with them. Kennedy also told Trump that a case was going on against India in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Trump said that this can be resolved very easily. He said that this would be solved very quickly by imposing tariffs on those countries which are sending goods illegally. Your problem will be solved in a day so we have to win the case in Supreme Court.
India is the world’s largest rice exporter
According to Indian Rice Exports Federation data, India is the world’s largest rice producing country and holds 28 percent share in the global market. It is also a top exporter, with a share of 30.3 percent in global exports in 2024-25. Among the rice varieties that India exports globally, Sona Masuri is preferred in markets like America and Australia. Trump has imposed 50 percent duty on India, which is the highest in the world. This also includes 25 percent duty on oil purchases from Russia.