Trump warns of new tariffs on India after farmers allege unfair dumping
PTC News Desk: According to Bloomberg, US President Donald Trump indicated that his administration may introduce new tariffs on agricultural imports, such as Canadian fertiliser and Indian rice, after American farmers complained that cheap foreign products are hurting them. At a White House roundtable held to announce a $12-billion support package for US farmers, Trump said the government would look into accusations that some countries are selling rice in the US at unfairly low prices.
Farmers at the meeting urged him to take tougher action, saying subsidised foreign rice is damaging the US market and lowering local prices. Trump called the situation “cheating” and said tariffs could be imposed. He also suggested that Canadian fertiliser could face heavy import duties to protect US producers.
Meryl Kennedy, CEO of Louisiana’s Kennedy Rice Mill, told Trump that India, Thailand and China are among the biggest offenders, pointing out that Chinese rice is being shipped to Puerto Rico instead of the US mainland. “We haven’t sent rice to Puerto Rico in years,” she said, adding that southern farmers are having a hard time.
“The tariffs are helping, but we need stronger action,” Kennedy said. As she described possible illegal subsidies supporting India’s rice industry, Trump interrupted and asked for the list of countries involved: “India, who else? Write it down, Scott,” he said.
The Treasury Secretary repeated that India, Thailand and China were the main offenders, adding that others would be identified as well. Trump promised the farmers that he would resolve the issue quickly.
Bloomberg also noted that both Canada and India are seeking trade agreements to stabilise relations with the US, but progress has been slow.
In August, Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian products, saying the action was intended to penalise India for trade restrictions and continued purchases of Russian oil. A high-level US delegation led by Deputy USTR Rick Switzer is scheduled to restart trade talks with India on December 10 and 11 to advance the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
- PTC NEWS
