India Removes Retaliatory Tariffs on American Chickpeas, Lentils, and Apples, Boosting Trade Relations with US

 India has lifted additional duties on several American products, including chickpeas, lentils, and apples. The fees were initially imposed in 2019 as a response to the United States' decision to raise tariffs on specific steel and aluminum items. The Indian Finance Ministry announced the removal of these duties on September 5, just a day before US President Joe Biden's arrival in India for the G20 Summit. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US in June, both countries had agreed to settle six disputes with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and eliminate retaliatory tariffs on specific US products.

As part of this agreement, India will be scrapping additional duties on chickpeas, lentils, fresh or dried almonds, shelled almonds, walnuts, and fresh apples. In July, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel had stated that the government had decided to remove retaliatory customs duties on the import of various products, including chickpeas, lentils, almonds (in shell and shelled), walnuts, apples, medical diagnostic reagents, and boric acid.

It is important to note that these changes in tariffs did not result in any financial loss for India. The United States is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral goods trade reaching USD 128.8 billion in 2022-23, up from USD 119.5 billion in 2021-22. The removal of these retaliatory tariffs and the elimination of additional duties on US products signify a positive development in trade relations between India and the United States. Both countries are working towards resolving trade disputes and strengthening their economic partnership.