New Delhi: Commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday assured that the India-US interim trade agreement shields Indian farmers by excluding staples and GM crops, while securing duty-free US access for select exports.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Goyal stated, “I can say with full confidence that this India–US agreement does not harm the interests of India’s farmers, MSMEs, or the handloom and handicraft sectors in any way.
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Contrary to fears that the entire agriculture sector would be opened up, Goyal said the government has taken care not to harm farmers.
While certain agricultural products such as tea, spices, coffee, coconut oil, vegetable wax, areca nuts, chestnuts, and a wide range of fruits and vegetables will now enjoy zero additional tariffs when exported to the United States, the agreement provides no relief for staples and commodities that are produced in abundance, including maize, rice, wheat, millets, ragi, bananas, citrus fruits, kabuli chana, sugar, soyabean, and cereals.
Meat, poultry, dairy products, ethanol, and tobacco were also explicitly excluded from tariff relief, reflecting India’s careful balancing of trade opportunities with domestic protection.