Basmati growers in Punjab, Haryana fear deep setback for grain exports to US

A tonne of basmati purchased in the US at $1,200 will cost an additional $600 if imported from India, compared to just $228 extra from Pakistan.

The 50% tariff imposed by the Trump administration has left Punjab and Haryana basmati growers and exporters deeply worried, fearing a severe impact on aromatic grain exports to the US as neighbouring Pakistan gains a significant competitive advantage.

Farm labourers plant paddy seedlings on the outskirts of Amritsar. (HT File)

The punitive tariff rate — among the highest imposed on any US trading partner — stems from Trump’s August 7 executive order adding a 25% penalty for India’s Russian oil purchases on top of an existing 25% reciprocal tariff, with the combined