U.S. food products, including almonds, walnuts, apples, and others grown in the West, will have their retaliatory tariffs removed for import into India. The announcement comes in the wake of a state visit by India’s prime minister to the United States.

The decision will improve market access of almonds at a time when the industry is working through a production glut and the associated low grower returns. India has been an active market for U.S. almonds since 2010, according to the Almond Board of California. Shipments of U.S. almonds to India has risen steadily over the past few years to become the top export destination for California almond producers.

“We are greatly pleased to have this issue resolved so that U.S. almonds can once again compete fairly in one of the largest international markets,” said Aubrey Bettencourt, president and CEO of the Almond Alliance, a California-based trade association.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack called the removal of the trade tariffs “a major win for America’s farmers,” saying it builds on an estimated $15 billion in new or preserved market access for U.S. agricultural products under the Biden Administration.

Included in the list of products affected by the decision are almonds, apples, chickpeas, lentils, and walnuts.  

Modi visit

News of the tariffs decision came as India Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the United States on an official state visit, which included an address to a joint session of Congress.

“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,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai in a prepared statement.

Six World Trade Organization disputes will be terminated under the agreement between the U.S. and India. Those include the additional duties on certain products from the U.S. by India, other export related measures, and certain measures relating to solar cells and modules going from the U.S. to India.

As part of the agreement, the U.S. will stop countervailing measures on certain steel products from India, measures relating to the renewable energy sector, and certain measures on steel and aluminum products from India.