In addition to Trump’s comments, India and the United States continue to relax the rules on the shrimp, apple and alcohol trade
For example: In the past two weeks, great progress has been made to alleviate the import of US apples and other foods and relieve the painful point of Indian shrimp exports to the United States.
In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) team negotiated in India last week on shrimp, with a “domestic assessment” expected to lead to a key agreement ending in the year.
Apple and Spirit
At the end of India, numerous procedural overhauls are expected to ease imports from US Apple, which were also preserved in red in the March 31 US Trade Representative (USTR) report.
Since 2021, India’s rulebook requires that Apple imports only allow the use of “non-GM (GMO modified origin” and “no GM-FRE” certificates. The United States has complained several times, including in the World Trade Organization, that its exports of apples to India have been severely damaged due to certification requirements because of the USDA’s failure to issue such certificates.
ET gathers that the Indian government is currently discussing a new proposal to simplify the process by a simpler “statement” replacing certification requirements, with a USFDA statement that it will ensure that GM Apple or products are not exported to India, in line with the latter’s policy, and that’s all. This may be further verified by the Indian Embassy/Consulate if required. However, Indian authorities will reserve the right to conduct inspections in such circumstances. Since India is the main importer of US apples, relaxation will be important. It is said that more than one million boxes of American Apple have arrived in India in 2024.
Similar procedural franchises were also considered on a range of imported U.S. items starting with the Preparation for Drinking (RTD) alcohol. Currently, India only allows beverages with alcohol content of 0.5-8% in the “low alcohol beverage” category, but the new classification will soon be notified, allowing for nearly 10-15% alcohol content in this category.
Similar concessions are expected to be made for animal feed for imported American alfalfa hay and distilleries, which are ready for finalization, and DDGS may take longer due to the requirements of the Genetic Engineering Evaluation Board.
Visa on shrimp
For India, it is crucial to shrimp exports. India is the largest exporter of U.S. shrimp, with $2.7 billion in the last fiscal year. But under the Trump regime, it faces nearly 18% U.S. tariffs, which makes business difficult.
While tariff negotiations are underway, there are other dampers on the other end of India that affect Indian shrimp trade. Consignment in India is often rejected for a variety of reasons, including suspicious antibiotic residues to mark errors, hygiene issues, and more. I have seen several such rejections in the first half of 2025.
It is in this context that the USFDA team in India, on the table is a shrimp trade signed by a Regional Partnership Agreement (RPA), which will greatly enhance the Indian industry. USFDA has already owned RPA in Ecuador since 2023, a rival in India in the shrimp trade.
The US-Indian shrimp RPA has a clearer agreement and an audit mechanism regarding the safety of seafood imports, which is expected to significantly reduce shipment refusal and accelerate clearance. The year-end collected by ET itself is quietly trying RPA.
The USFDA team visited India from May 5 to 6 and discussed with the Indian Marine Products Export Development Agency. ET also learned that the team is currently conducting on-site assessments of on-site supervision with other stakeholder departments and departments.
