India’s rice exporters cheer US tariff cut to 18%

New Delhi: India’s rice exporters on Tuesday welcomed Washington’s decision to reduce tariffs to 18 per cent from 25 per cent, saying the move would boost competitiveness & demand as the country heads towards record output.

The Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) said the tariff cut comes at a time when India is expecting record rice production of about 149 million tonnes in the 2025–26 crop year, ensuring strong availability. The federation noted that Indian agricultural products continue to remain critical to global supply chains, with exports showing resilience even under higher duties.

IREF National President Prem Garg said the industry is also hopeful of a waiver on additional penalties linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil. If confirmed, he said, the effective tariff burden would fall to 18 per cent, restoring parity with competing exporters such as Thailand and Pakistan.

India’s rice exports to the US increased despite duties rising sharply earlier, underlining sustained demand. During April–November 2025–26, India exported about 1.99 lakh tonnes of basmati and over 40,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice to the US. Agencies