NEW DELHI: From oil to rice, the United States refuses to accept any trade that can even hypothetically affect "MAGA" interests. A punitive tariff has already been imposed on India for purchasing "sanctioned" Russian oil, taking the total "reciprocal tariff" up to 50 per cent for several commodities.
The US instead wants New Delhi to buy American oil, even at comparatively higher costs. And while it wants American farm produce to enter India, the reverse is not welcome, yet.
US President Donald Trump's main concern with Indian rice is that he has been told India is "dumping" rice into its market, undercutting American farmers and driving down domestic prices. He has threatened new tariffs on Indian rice exports to protect US agriculture.
The term "dumping" was used to describe Indian exports that distort competition with US rice farmers complaining that imports from India, Thailand, and Vietnam are "depressing prices".
New Delhi is already facing some of the highest US tariffs on its exports. With White House signalling additional duties specifically targeting Indian rice, there may arise complications in the ongoing bilateral trade negotiations. Some reports quoted analysts saying that the threats may be driven more by domestic politics than trade logic.