Trump Signals New Tariffs on Indian Rice Amid Farm Pressure
President Donald Trump signaled the possibility of new tariffs on Indian rice, raising concerns that trade negotiations between Washington and New Delhi may remain unsettled.
The remarks, made at a White House event announcing additional support for US farmers, pointed to growing tensions over agricultural imports that American producers say are pushing down domestic prices.
Trump says that he would “take care” of what he described as dumping of Indian rice into the US market. Farmers in parts of the country have argued that cheaper imports from India, Vietnam and Thailand are hurting their competitiveness and adding pressure to a sector already affected by inflation and past trade actions.
“They shouldn’t be dumping,” Trump says. “I mean, I heard that, I heard that from others. You can’t do that.”
The comments underline a broader push by the US administration to respond to farmer complaints ahead of next year’s midterm elections. While farmers have been a loyal base for Trump, many have struggled with higher costs and uncertain prices, some linked to his tariff measures.
The president also suggested he could target Canadian fertilizer to support domestic production. “A lot of it does come in from Canada, and so we’ll end up putting very severe tariffs on that, if we have to, because that’s the way you want to bolster here,” he says. “And we can do it here. We can all do that here.”
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Any move against fertilizer imports could add to concerns for American growers who have already faced higher input costs. Canada is the largest supplier of potash to the US, and while products under the North American trade agreement receive tariff carveouts, any additional fees would raise expenses further. Farmers have also dealt with hurdles on phosphate, another input mostly sourced from abroad.
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Both potash and phosphate were placed on the US critical minerals list in November. Farmers had hoped that designation would stabilize global supply and encourage domestic production.
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For India, Trump’s warning comes at a sensitive moment. New Delhi has sought a broader trade arrangement with Washington, but discussions have not led to a breakthrough. The US imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods in August over trade barriers and India’s purchases of Russian oil. A US delegation is scheduled to visit India this week, though expectations for an agreement to reduce those tariffs remain low.