Pulse trade: US senators write to Trump; urge better access to Indian market

Two Republican lawmakers have urged US President Donald Trump to press for better access for American pulse crop producers in the Indian market as part of ongoing trade negotiations between Washington and New Delhi.

In a letter dated January 16, Senators Steve Daines of Montana and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota called on Trump to include “favourable pulse crop provisions” in any future bilateral trade agreement with India.




Both states are among the largest producers of pulse crops such as peas, lentils and dried beans in the US. India is the world’s biggest consumer of these commodities.

The lawmakers said American farmers have long been concerned about India’s high agricultural tariffs, which they argue raise costs and make US pulse exports less competitive compared with other suppliers. They observed that India accounts for about 27 per cent of global pulse consumption, with lentils, chickpeas, dried beans and peas among the most commonly consumed varieties, according to PTI.

They also pointed to India’s decision to impose a 30 per cent tariff on yellow peas, announced on October 30 last year and effective from November 1, 2025.

“As a result of the unfair Indian tariffs, US pulse crop producers face a significant competitive disadvantage when exporting their high-quality product to India,” the letter read.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), India’s average applied tariff on agricultural products stands at 39 per cent, compared with an average of 5 per cent in the US.

USTR has also flagged technical barriers to trade, regulatory hurdles and market access restrictions in sectors including agriculture, which it said have reduced US exports to India.

The appeal comes amid broader efforts by Washington and New Delhi to finalise a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has said the two sides are actively engaged in concluding a new deal. The Trump administration launched negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement with India on February 13 last year and in April the USTR finalised its Terms of Reference, laying the groundwork for multi-sector negotiations.

Daines and Cramer argued that lowering trade barriers would benefit both American producers and Indian consumers, given India’s large demand for protein-rich pulses. They said engaging Prime Minister Narendra Modi on pulse crop tariffs would be “mutually beneficial” for both countries.

Thanking Trump for his efforts to support agricultural producers in North Dakota and Montana, the lawmakers said they encouraged him to pursue favourable provisions for pulse crops as negotiations move forward.

They also recalled raising similar concerns during Trump’s first term, ahead of the 2020 trade talks with India. The senators said the President had “hand-delivered” their earlier letter to PM Modi, which they said helped bring US producers into the negotiations.

“As the United States looks to rebalance trade disparities, American farmers are ready to help fill the gap. They have tremendous capacity to feed and fuel the world if trade opportunities are unleashed,” the lawmakers said.

In their 2020 letter, written ahead of President Trump’s visit to India, the senators called Indian tariffs on pulse crops "unfair" and had significantly harmed US producers. This comes after India was removed from the Generalised System of Preferences in June 2019, leading to additional duties on American exports.