Indian American farmers caught in Indo-U.S. trade war |
Indian American walnut and almond growers say they are facing a massively-negative economic impact from a trade policy announced June 16 by India`s Commerce Ministry, which slapped huge tariffs on their products.Indian American farmers in the Sutter/Yuba County region grow about two-thirds of the nation`s walnuts and almonds. India is the biggest buyer of almonds from the U.S., purchasing 54 percent of the export supply in 2017. Eighty-two percent of those almonds are grown in California.India last year bought 650 million pounds of almonds from California growers. The country has imposed a 25 percent tariff on almonds and raised a 20 percent duty on walnuts. Previously the duty on walnuts was 100 percent; the total tariff now is 120 percent. In the ongoing trade war between the two countries, India imposed tariffs on 28 products last month in retaliation to the U.S. government`s imposing of heavy tariffs on aluminum and steel from India. Earlier this year, the U.S. ended its generalized system of preferences for India, a program that allowed for duty-free exports of certain products. And in May, the U.S. ended waivers of sanctions for seven countries who purchase oil from Iran, including India.
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