India lifting tariffs on several U.S. crops

India is lifting retaliatory tariffs on several U.S. crops after the two nations agreed to terminate six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization.

The tariffs on apples, almonds and walnuts were in response to the U.S. Section 232 national security measures on steel and aluminum. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced their removal on June 22 during India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S.

USApple was invited to attend Modi’s arrival ceremony at the White House.

“We were honored to be part of this important day for U.S.-India relations,” Jim Bair, USApple president and CEO, said in a news release.

India will remove its retaliatory tariffs within 90 days. USApple’s board of directors met with White House staff in March and advocated for this resolution.

“U.S. apple growers can now begin the work of competing for, and hopefully regaining, this critical market,” Bair said in the release. “We look forward to once again shipping great apples to this valued trading partner.”

Prior to the U.S. imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum from India in 2018, the country was the No. 2 market for U.S. apples — and growing. When India. now the world’s most populous nation, retaliated by bringing total tariffs on U.S. apples to 70%, sales fell to nearly zero, costing U.S. growers half a billion dollars in sales.

The tariff cuts will restore and expand market opportunities for U.S. agricultural producers and manufacturers. The resolution also maintains the integrity of the U.S. Section 232 measures.

“Prime Minister Modi’s visit has underscored the importance of the U.S.-India bilateral relationship and our cooperation on a range of shared priorities,” Tai said in a news release. “Today’s agreement represents the culmination of intensified bilateral engagement over the last two years, including through the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum, to deepen our economic and trade ties.”