WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the midst of President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade negotiations with India, two U.S. senators are calling on the president to strike a deal on pulse crops. U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Steve Daines (R-MT) wrote a letter to President Trump, requesting he “push for favorable pulse crop provisions in any agreement the United States signs with the Republic of India.”
According to U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, the U.S. and India are actively engaged in finalizing a new trade deal. The Trump administration launched negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with India last year on Feb. 13, and in April, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) finalized its Terms of Reference for a BTA, establishing the roadwork for mutually beneficial, multi-sector negotiations. USTR found India’s average applied tariff rate on agriculture products was 39%, whereas the U.S. applied an average tariff of just 5% on agricultural goods. It also found technical barriers to trade, regulatory barriers, and restrictions on access to the market in certain sectors, including agriculture, have reduced U.S. exports to India.
The senators represent the states producing the most pulse crops, writing, “North Dakota and Montana are the top two producers of pulse crops, including peas, and India is the world’s largest consumer of these crops, contributing to approximately 27% of the world’s consumption. The most commonly consumed pulse crops in India are lentils, chickpeas, dried beans, and peas, yet they have levied substantial tariffs on American pulse crops.”
“As the United States looks to rebalance trade disparities, American farmers are ready to help fill the gap,” the senators concluded. “They have tremendous capacity to feed and fuel the world if trade opportunities are unleashed. Engaging Prime Minister Modi on pulse crop tariffs to enhance the economic cooperation between our countries would be mutually beneficial to both American producers and Indian customers.”
This follows Cramer’s longtime leadership on achieving favorable trade conditions for pulse crop producers. In 2020, he wrote a similar letter to President Trump, asking him to advocate for favorable provisions for American pulse crops in a trade deal with India. President Trump hand-delivered the letter from Cramer and Daines during his visit to India.
Click here for the letter.
