The duty-free or reduced imports of US agricultural products were announced two days after Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured Parliament on February 5 that India’s staple grains, fruits, major crops, millets and dairy products are safe and free from threats. | Photo credit: iStockphoto
The statement on duty-free or reduced imports of US agricultural products came two days after Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asserted in Parliament on February 5 that India’s staple grains, fruits, major crops, millets and dairy products remain completely safe and free from any threat.
business line was the first to report on March 5 last year about a likely concession to the US on allowing zero-tariff soybean oil among other agricultural products.
India already imports soybean oil from the US, along with Brazil, Argentina and Russia, where the effective import duty is 27.5 percent on crude varieties and 35.75 percent on refined oil. However, the share of US imports in total imported soy oil is very negligible. The US is not a major exporter of soybean oil because the country has huge domestic consumption, both for food processing and the biodiesel program, which limits the surplus. But it exports a lot of soybeans, which are genetically modified and not allowed in India.
According to the joint statement, the US will “apply a reciprocal tariff of 18 percent” on goods originating in India, including textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastics and rubber, organic chemicals, home furnishings, handicrafts and certain machinery, “subject to the successful conclusion of the Interim Agreement.” There is no mention of “agricultural products” in the list of items on which the US would cut duties.
Published on February 7, 2026
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