India US interim trade pact ‘Farmers safe, country developed’: Piyush Goyal says India’s agri exports to go up

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday confirmed that India’s agricultural sector has been safeguarded in the interim trade agreement with the United States. India reached a framework for an interim trade agreement with the US, under which the agriculture and dairy sectors would continue to be protected. 

Goyal said that dairy, fruits, vegetables, spices, and other grains have been protected. He added that even the dairy sector has been safeguarded under the interim trade pact. Goyal further mentioned that Indian agricultural goods would get preferential access to American markets. 

“Farmers Safe, Country Developed… In the India-US trade agreement, dairy, fruits, vegetables, spices, and other grains have been protected. This will safeguard the interests of domestic farmers, strengthen local agriculture through preferential access to such a large market, and mark another powerful step forward in the direction of a self-reliant India,” Goyal said in a post on X. 

List of agricultural imports not allowed into India

Grains that the US cannot export to India include wheat, rice, maize, amaranth, bajra, oats, barley, sorghum, siamak, kodo, copra, kangni, maida, and hulled grains.

Dairy products such as milk (liquid, powder, condensed, etc.), cream, yoghurt, buttermilk, butter, ghee, cheese (mozzarella, blue vend, grated, powdered), butter oil, paneer, whey products, etc., would also not be imported from the US. 

Vegetables such as potatoes, peas, beans, mixed frozen vegetables, cucumber, gherkins, agaricus mushrooms, and mixed packed vegetables would also not be imported.

The spices industry also gets protection

The country’s spices industry has also been protected under the Indo-US trade pact. At present, India is the world’s largest producer, consumer, and exporter of spices, controlling 40-50 per cent of global trade with exports topping $4.5 billion in FY25. 

Spices including black pepper, cloves, dried green chillies, cinnamon, coriander, asafoetida, ginger, turmeric, carom seeds, fenugreek, coffee pods, cassia, mustard, black mustard seeds, fibre supplement, and other powdered spices.