Indians living in the US may soon have to spend more on rice after US President Donald Trump announced a 50% tariff, which will take effect from August 27.
India exports around 2.5 lakh tonnes of rice to the US every year. Of this, about 40% is the sona masuri variety, grown mainly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while the remaining 60% is basmati, produced in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Most Indians in the US prefer sona masuri for daily meals and use basmati for special dishes like biryani.
Currently, sona masuri costs $900–$1,000 per tonne, while basmati is priced between $1,200 and $1,300 per tonne.
With the new tariff, both varieties will become much more expensive, and many in the Indian community may have no choice but to pay the higher prices since they are used to these rice varieties.
Sources suggest that Trump’s move may be aimed at making life harder for the Indian diaspora in response to India’s decision to buy oil from Russia.
