India has promised to protect the interests of farmers in the trade agreement with the US

Federal Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal stated at a conference in New Delhi that not a single sensitive interest of Indian farmers and other stakeholders had been compromised. According to him, once the details of the agreement are published, India will gain a serious competitive advantage.

The framework agreement on an interim trade agreement was announced by New Delhi and Washington in February, but the document has not yet been signed. Negotiations were repeatedly delayed due to market access issues, tariffs, and the unpredictability of US tariff policy. According to the February document of the Ministry of Commerce of India, protection will remain for such sensitive sectors as dairy products, meat, poultry, corn, grain, and genetically modified products. Concessions imply limited quotas with reduced import duties on almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, while duty reductions on a number of other goods will be stretched over a period of up to ten years. For its part, the government points out that certain Indian agricultural exports worth 1.36 billion dollars, including tea, coffee, spices, and processed products, will not be subject to additional duties by the US.

The authorities' plans drew criticism from agricultural organizations. The coalition of more than 100 farm unions Samyukt Kisan Morcha announced protests for November 26 and expressed fears that subsidized imports from the US would lower domestic prices and rural incomes, demanding the disclosure of the deal's terms. Another organization, All-India Kisan Sabha, warned against opening India's dairy market, pointing to the threat of a drop in milk procurement prices and the well-being of rural households.

At the same time, Piyush Goyal and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that the agreement is close to completion. Meanwhile, media reports emerged that negotiations had stalled due to New Delhi's refusal to accept the proposed tariff rate of 18% along with agricultural concessions, and the final deal might only take place after the US midterm elections on November 3.