Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday hinted at a fresh wave of tariffs aimed at protecting American farmers, targeting key agricultural imports from India and Canada. During a meeting at the White House, Trump sharply questioned the influx of Indian rice into the US market and signalled that punitive duties could be imposed soon.
At the meeting, Trump openly challenged his advisers on the issue, asking, “Why is India allowed to do that? They have to pay tariffs. Do they have an exemption on rice?” Responding to the President, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified that no such exemption exists and that Washington was currently negotiating a broader trade agreement with New Delhi.
Trump insisted that India “cannot continue dumping rice in the US”, echoing concerns raised by American farmers who say that low-priced imports from India, Vietnam and Thailand have dragged down domestic crop prices. The President assured the farming representatives present at the meeting that he would “take care” of the issue swiftly.
In a separate indication of expanding trade pressure, Trump also announced that Canada may face steep tariffs on fertiliser exports to the United States. “A lot of it comes in from Canada, and we’ll put very severe tariffs on it, if we have to. That’s how you bolster production here,” he said, arguing that American manufacturers were capable of meeting domestic demand.
Trump made these remarks while unveiling a USD 12 billion assistance package for American farmers, who have been grappling with inflation, fluctuating commodity prices and trade-policy uncertainties. Negotiations with both India and Canada remain ongoing as Washington seeks new bilateral trade arrangements.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on several Indian exports, citing restrictive trade practices and India’s high volume of energy imports. A senior US delegation is expected to visit New Delhi later this week to continue discussions on the evolving trade landscape.
