India Rejects US Accusations of Rice Dumping, Highlights Premium Basmati Exports

India firmly rejected allegations on Monday regarding "dumping" rice in the United States market, emphasizing that its rice exports primarily consist of premium-quality basmati, which typically sells at higher prices compared to other rice varieties.

Last week, US President Donald Trump suggested potential additional tariffs on Indian rice imports, accusing India of "dumping" - a practice where products are exported at prices below their normal market value.

Indian Trade Secretary Rajesh Agrawal addressed these claims during a news conference, stating, "We don't see a prima facie case of dumping, and as far as we know, the US has not initiated any anti-dumping investigation either."

This trade tension follows Trump's August decision to double tariffs on various Indian imports to as high as 50 percent, negatively impacting India's textile, chemical, and food exports, including shrimp.

As the world's leading rice exporter, India exported 20.2 million metric tons of rice during the 2024/25 financial year that ended in March. Of this total, 335,554 tons were shipped to the United States, with 274,213 tons being premium basmati rice.

Recently, a delegation led by Agrawal met with US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer in Delhi to discuss bilateral trade matters, including conversations about a proposed trade agreement between the two nations.