Trump says India ‘dumping’ rice, signals fresh tariffs
Washington: In a sharp escalation of trade tensions, US President Donald Trump has accused India of “dumping” rice into the United States, signalling potential fresh tariffs against Indian exports.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking at a White House roundtable with farmers and cabinet officials, Trump claimed that Indian rice imports were harming American farmers and said the problem could be solved “in one day” through tariffs.
According to reports, Trump’s remarks followed concerns raised by American rice producers, who said India, along with Thailand and China, were supplying rice at low prices, undercutting domestic production. Trump, who has already imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods—including a 25 per cent levy on Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil—insisted that stricter measures would protect US farmers and prevent them from going out of business.
Observers note that India, the world’s largest rice producer with 150 million tonnes and a 28 per cent global share, exported only 2.34 lakh tonnes to the US in 2024, less than 5 per cent of its total global basmati rice exports. Indian Rice Exporters Federation President Prem Garg described the US tariffs as a temporary hurdle.
