World News | Indian Market Has Significant Potential for US Pecans: USTR Katherine Tai

Washington, Sep 14 (PTI) The Indian market has significant potential for American pecans, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai has told lawmakers who had earlier expressed concerns over tariff restrictions on import of this dry fruit by India.

“The Indian market has significant potential for US pecans, especially in light of India's growing middle class and demand for consumer-oriented agricultural products,” Tai wrote in a recent letter to Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management and Trade.

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Warnock along with several other lawmakers had earlier asked to take up the issue of high tariff on pecan by India.

“USTR has raised the issue of pecan tariffs with India consistently for the past several years, including through the US- India Trade Policy Forum – our principal vehicle for engaging India on market access and agricultural issues,” she said the letter to Warnock, which was released by his office on Wednesday.

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Tai said that she would raise this during the Trade Policy Forum Ministerial later this year alongside India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. “USTR will continue working to achieve a positive outcome on this issue and other barriers affecting US agricultural exports,” she said.

According to Senator Warnock and several other lawmakers, a high pecan tariff imposed by India — 100 per cent for US pecans exported to the country — has severely limited Georgia pecan exports.

The high tariff has resulted in few imports and consequently little revenue for the country. Without a reduction in the current tariff rate, there is little opportunity for US pecan export success in this growing international market, the lawmaker said.

“India's pecan tariff on US imports is a major barrier for the US pecan industry. Reducing India's tariff on US pecans has been the industry's top priority for several years. We appreciate Senator Warnock working with Ambassador Tai to make this a priority for the US Trade Representative. If this effort is successful, it could have a significant impact on the Georgia pecan industry's future,” said Marianne Brown, Lee County, Georgia grower and Board Member of the National Pecan Federation.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)