India has offered the US tariff cuts on farm imports and is considering further cuts on liquefied natural gas as it rushes to secure a trade deal with President Trump in time to avoid his hefty reciprocal taxes, according to reports.
China, Canada and the European Union have appeared unwilling to negotiate on the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs – a 20% levy on China, 25% taxes on Canada and reciprocal tariffs coming April 2.
But India has been an active participant at the negotiating table, indicating it’s open to slashing tariffs on more than half of US imports worth $23 billion, Reuters reported earlier this week.
During meetings in New Delhi with Brendan Lynch, assistant US trade representative for South and Central Asia, India agreed to lower tariffs on farm products like almonds, walnuts, cranberries, pistachios and lentils, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters.
The South Asian nation is also considering a pitch to scrap its import tax on US LNG to help cut the trade surplus with Washington, according to government and industry sources.
Government representatives are expected to finish trade negotiations late on Friday, according to the report.
The White House and a representative for India’s government did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
Talks are “progressing well” and the bilateral trade pact will benefit both nations, Indian Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.
India has already lowered its duties on bourbon whiskey to 100% from 150% last month.
Now, the US is hoping it will follow suit by slashing tariffs on cranberries, almonds and walnuts, which range from 30% to 100%. Its levy on lentils is about 10%.
But India is still facing resistance at home when it comes to lowering tariffs on crucial dairy, rice, wheat and maize imports, sources said.
US agriculture exports to India totaled nearly $2 billion in 2024, including $452 million in alcoholic beverages and $1.3 billion in fruits and vegetables.
Meanwhile, India’s exports to the US totaled around $5.5 billion.
India is also weighing whether to scrap its import tax on US LNG.
The US is already India’s second-largest supplier of LNG, and the South Asian nation has been looking to further ramp up imports.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US last month, India vowed to increase its US energy imports by $10 billion to $25 billion in the near future.
The US and India agreed to target $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.
By axing the tax, India would slim down its trade surplus with the US, a government source told Reuters.
With Post wires
