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U.S. and India make ag trade resolutions

The U.S. Trade Representative has announced resolutions on a poultry trade dispute with India, lowering tariffs on some ag products.

The announcement was made during the G20 Leader’s Summit in India.  Tariffs on some products including frozen turkey, frozen duck, fresh blueberries and cranberries, frozen blueberries and cranberries, dried blueberries and cranberries, and processed blueberries and cranberries, were also lifted as part of the agreement.

USA Poultry & Egg Export Council President and CEO Greg Tyler says India is reducing basic tariffs from 30 percent to 5 percent.

“Any of our competitors out there from Europe, from Thailand, they were facing the same duties, this lowers that duty across the board and of course makes the product more affordable,” he says.

He says the U.S. gained export access into India in 2018 and their organization is hopeful similar resolutions can be made on chicken products moving forward.

U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the announcement follows resolutions between the two countries made in June on additional WTO disputes. India agreed then to also reduce tariffs on lentils, apples, and other goods which Vilsack will take effect this week.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), sent a letter earlier in the year to the U.S. Trade Representative calling for action.