India’s tariffs on WA apples, chickpeas, lentils ends
By Terry Murry on Thursday, September 7th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has announced India ended its 2018 retaliatory tariffs placed on Washington apples and crops like chickpeas and lentils Wednesday.
“Our apple growers can now accept orders from India and growers could be making shipments as early as this fall,” Cantwell said. “With over a billion people, this is one of the world’s largest markets and represents a significant growth opportunity for Washington growers.”
Since the tariffs were imposed, the apple export market from Washington state to India went from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million this season. Washington’s apple industry statewide supports 68,000 local jobs, including 40,000 apple pickers.
Washington’s chickpea and lentil growers have also suffered. Prior to the tariffs, American growers exported $180 million worth of pulse crops, which are dried seeds of the legume plants, to India. Currently, barely $1 million in pulse crops are being exported.
Washington is the largest U.S. producer of apples and chickpeas and the third-leading U.S. producer of lentils.
File photo of Cosmic Crisp apples provided by Washington State University
