Overview
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s remarks questioning India’s refusal to buy U.S. corn set the tone as in‑person trade negotiations restart in New Delhi with a U.S. delegation led by Brendan Lynch.
- India imported about 0.97 million tonnes of maize in 2024–25, sourcing roughly 0.53 mt from Myanmar and 0.39 mt from Ukraine, while purchases from the U.S. were about 1,100 tonnes.
- India caps maize imports at 0.5 mt at a 15% duty and applies 50% beyond that, and it bars genetically modified corn, a major constraint given about 94% of U.S. plantings are GM.
- Becoming a net importer in 2024 after expanding ethanol blending to E20 and facing rising feed demand, India has prioritized supplies that meet its regulatory terms.
- NITI Aayog withdrew a proposal in July to allow GM maize imports for ethanol use, and analysts say tariff or GM-policy changes are unlikely soon due to farmer protection priorities and election politics.