U.S. lawmakers urge Trump to seek lower Indian tariffs on pulse crops in trade talks

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Two U.S. lawmakers person urged President Donald Trump to propulsion for favourable provisions for pulse crops successful immoderate aboriginal commercialized woody with India, saying American producers look a "significant competitory disadvantage" owed to what they described arsenic "unfair” tariffs imposed by New Delhi.

In a missive dated Jan 16 addressed to Mr. Trump, Republican Senators Steve Daines of Montana and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said their states are the apical 2 producers of pulse crops, including peas, portion India is the world's largest consumer, accounting for astir 27% of planetary consumption.

They noted that lentils, chickpeas, dried beans, and peas are among the astir commonly consumed pulse crops successful India, but New Delhi has imposed important tariffs connected American exports successful these categories.

The Senators pointed retired that India announced connected October 30 past twelvemonth a 30% tariff connected yellowish peas, which came into effect connected November 1, 2025.

“As a effect of the unfair Indian tariffs, U.S. pulse harvest producers look a important competitory disadvantage erstwhile exporting their high-quality merchandise to India,” the missive said.

Mr. Daines and Mr. Cramer said engaging Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected pulse harvest tariffs to heighten the economical practice betwixt the 2 countries would beryllium “mutually beneficial” for some American producers and Indian consumers.

Thanking Mr. Trump for his efforts to unafraid a favourable economical situation for cultivation producers successful North Dakota and Montana, the Senators said that arsenic commercialized negotiations determination forward, they promote him to question favourable pulse harvest provisions successful immoderate statement the US signs with India.

They recalled that during Mr. Trump’s archetypal term, they had raised the contented up of the 2020 commercialized negotiations with India, and that the President had “hand-delivered” their missive to Modi, which they said helped bring US producers to the negotiating table.

“As the United States looks to rebalance commercialized disparities, American farmers are acceptable to assistance capable the gap. They person tremendous capableness to provender and substance the satellite if commercialized opportunities are unleashed,” the lawmakers said successful the letter.

In their 2020 letter, written up of Mr. Trump's sojourn to India that year, the Senators had said that “unfair” Indian tariffs connected pulse crops had substantially harmed U.S. pulse harvest producers, peculiarly aft India was removed from the Generalised System of Preferences successful June 2019, pursuing which further duties were imposed connected American exports.

Published - January 17, 2026 12:23 p.m. IST

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