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Agricultural Commodity Trade
U.S.-India Agricultural Trade
India’s foreign trade has expanded rapidly following the sweeping
trade policy and exchange rate reforms during 1991-93. Between 1993
and the early 2000s, total trade tripled from around $45 billion
to just under $140 billion. During this period, exports also tripled
to over $60 billion, while imports more than tripled to over $75
billion. India's share of global trade—about 0.7 percent—is,
however, still small compared with other large countries.
India's agricultural trade has also shown strong growth during
the 1990s, although gains have not been as rapid as for nonagricultural
goods. Total agricultural trade nearly doubled from almost $4.5
billion in 1990 to about $8 billion in 2000. Agricultural imports
showed the most growth, more than doubling from less than $1 billion
to almost $2 billion, while exports increased from $3.5 billion
to over $6 billion. As has been the case historically, India has
maintained a surplus in agricultural trade. With growth in nonagricultural
trade outpacing agriculture, agriculture’s share of India’s
total trade slipped from about 10 percent in 1990 to 8.5 percent
in 2000. Agricultural and allied products comprised less than 5
percent of total imports and about 15 percent of total exports in
2000.
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Agricultural Commodity Trade
Edible oils and pulses (chickpeas, pigeon peas, lentils, dry
peas, etc.), of which India emerged as the world’s largest importer
during the 1990s, account for the bulk of India’s agricultural
imports. Other major items imported on a regular basis include
raw
cashew nuts (for processing), tree nuts (primarily almonds),
fruits (primarily apples), raw cotton, wool and silk, and wood
and wood
products. During production shortfalls, India also imports wheat,
rice, and sugar, although imports of cereals have not been necessary
since the mid-1990s.
India’s major agricultural exports include fish and fish products,
tea and coffee, basmati and nonbasmati rice, oilseed meals, cashew
nuts, spices, fruits, and vegetables. In recent years, India has
also exported significant amounts of wheat in an effort to reduce
surplus government stocks.
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U.S.-India Agricultural Trade
U.S.-India two-way agricultural trade increased about 2.5 times,
from just under $400 million in the early 1990s to $1 billion in
the early 2000s. Indian imports of U.S agricultural goods have tended
to increase faster than Indian exports to the United States. India
maintains a significant agricultural trade surplus with the United
States, amounting to about $370 million in the early 2000s, but
the surplus has declined from the highs of the late 1990s.
U.S. agricultural exports to India totaled over $300 million in
the early 2000s, compared with around $175 million in the early
1990s. Cotton and almonds accounted for the bulk of U.S. shipments
in the early 2000s, as well as most of the growth in trade since
1990. Other U.S. farm exports to India include vegetable oils, primarily
soybean oil, and fruits and preparations, primarily apples and table
grapes. Significant past U.S. exports of wheat and blended food
products to India under food aid programs have largely ended.
U.S. agricultural imports from India totaled almost $690 million
in the early 2000s, compared with $286 million in 1990. Major Indian
exports to the United States include cashews, coffee, tea and spices,
crude drugs, and an array of vegetable and oilseed products.
The FATUS database provides U.S. data on India's
agricultural exports to the United States and U.S.
imports from India.
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