- India’s mango, pomegranate, and tea exports likely to gain from tariff cuts
- US move aims to tackle “affordability” concerns as food prices continue to rise
US President Donald Trump has announced tariff cuts on food imports, a decision expected to benefit India’s major export sectors, including mangoes, pomegranates, and tea. The move comes as “affordability” has emerged as a key political issue in the United States, influencing recent election outcomes in states such as New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. The White House confirmed on Friday that tropical fruits, juices, spices, and tea will be exempted from reciprocal tariffs.
A White House factsheet stated that products such as coffee, tea, cocoa, oranges, tomatoes, and beef are among those excluded from additional tariff duties. Earlier, Trump had imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on imports from India and added a punitive 25 per cent levy for purchasing Russian oil. However, he previously exempted generic medicines to contain inflation, a measure that particularly helped India, which supplies around 47 per cent of generic drugs prescribed in the US.
The price surge in several food products has partly been attributed to higher tariffs passed down by importers and retailers. Government data showed roasted coffee prices rising by 18.9 per cent and beef and veal by 14.7 per cent. Prices of Indian food imports and spices increased by nearly 30 per cent in Indian grocery markets. Trump’s decision is seen as a response to growing public frustration over rising living costs, with opinion polls showing discontent even among Republican voters.
In an NBC News poll released this week, 63 per cent of registered voters said Trump had fallen short of their expectations on handling the economy and cost of living. Thirty per cent of Republicans also agreed. Trump dismissed the “affordability” issue as a “complete con job” by Democrats, citing lower petrol and energy prices compared to the tenure of former President Joe Biden, when inflation peaked at 19.7 per cent.
Though inflation has since slowed to 3 per cent as of September, specific commodities remain costly due to tariffs. India stands to benefit from the latest round of cuts, reviving optimism for its agricultural exporters. Mangoes, in particular, hold a symbolic place in India-US trade ties since former President George W. Bush lifted the import ban in 2006. The joint statement from Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Trump’s February visit underscored this, stating, “India also expressed appreciation for US measures taken to enhance exports of Indian mangoes and pomegranates to the United States.”
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