New York/Washington:- US President Donald Trump has recently made a big statement about India. He has said that India should not 'dump' rice (sell at a very low price) in the US market and he will fix this problem soon.
On Monday, at the White House, Trump held a meeting with representatives of the agricultural sector and key members of his Cabinet, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. They announced $ 12 billion in federal aid for farmers.
Meryl Kennedy, who runs Kennedy Rice Mill in Louisiana, told Trump that rice producers in South America are really struggling because other countries are dumping rice in the US.
When Trump asked which countries were dumping, Kennedy replied: India and Thailand, even China in Puerto Rico. Rice is being dumped. Kennedy said that this has been happening for many years but now it is being seen on a much larger scale.
He also said that there is also a case pending against India in the World Trade Organization.
Trump asked Treasury Secretary Besant about India, to which Besant replied that they are still working on India's trade agreement. Trump said, "But they should not be dumping... They can't do that." Trump assured that this problem can be solved very easily and in one day with tariffs, which will stop countries sending rice illegally.
Let us tell you that according to the data of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation, India is the largest producer of rice (150 million tons) and has a 28 percent share in the global market. It is also the largest exporter of rice, accounting for 30.3 per cent of global exports in 2024–2025. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, India exported about 2.34 lakh tonnes of rice to the US in the fiscal year 2024, which is less than 5 per cent of its total global basmati rice exports (5.24 lakh tonnes). It is worth noting that Trump has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on India, the highest in the world.