India Rejects US Claim of Rice Dumping
Centre says exports to America are mainly premium basmati, no anti-dumping probe initiated
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th Dec: India on Monday firmly rejected allegations by the United States that it is “dumping” rice in the American market, asserting that its exports to the US primarily comprise premium-grade basmati rice, which is sold at higher prices than non-basmati varieties.
Responding to comments by US President Donald Trump, who last week suggested that additional tariffs could be imposed on Indian rice imports, Indian Trade Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said there was no basis for the accusation.
“We don’t see a prima facie case of dumping, and as far as we know, the US has not started any anti-dumping investigation either,” Agrawal told reporters at a press conference.
Trump had accused India of dumping rice into the US market — a trade practice defined as exporting goods at prices lower than their normal value — while hinting at further tariff action. In August, the US had doubled tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50 per cent, impacting sectors such as textiles, chemicals and food products, including shrimp.
India, the world’s largest rice exporter, shipped 20.2 million metric tonnes of rice during the 2024–25 financial year ending in March. Of this, exports to the United States stood at 335,554 tonnes, with basmati accounting for 274,213 tonnes, underlining the premium nature of India’s rice shipments to the US.
Agrawal also said a high-level Indian delegation, led by him, met US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer in New Delhi last week to discuss bilateral trade issues, including ongoing talks on a proposed trade agreement.
The government maintained that India’s rice export pricing reflects quality differentiation rather than any attempt to distort international markets, even as trade frictions between the two countries continue to surface over tariffs and market access.
