India's agricultural exports increased by 2.3% year-on-year to USD 53.1 billion in FY 2025-26, despite steep tariff hikes imposed by the United States under the Trump administration. While several traditional exports to the US witnessed declines, India's agricultural sector demonstrated remarkable resilience through market diversification, rising exports to Asia, Europe and West Asia, and strong global demand for select commodities such as marine products, buffalo meat and coffee. (The Indian Express)
India exported agricultural products worth USD 53.1 billion during FY 2025-26, compared to USD 52 billion in FY 2024-25. Although slightly below the all-time high of USD 53.2 billion recorded in FY 2022-23, the sector outperformed India's overall merchandise exports, which grew by only 0.9% during the same period. This highlights the relatively stronger resilience of agriculture amidst global trade disruptions. (The Indian Express)
The US administration imposed multiple tariff revisions on Indian exports:
| Timeline | Tariff Rate |
|---|---|
| Effective from 7 August | 25% |
| From 27 August | 50% |
| From 10 February | 18% |
| From 24 February | 10% |
These tariff hikes adversely affected several Indian export sectors.Among agricultural commodities, exports to the US declined in:
Non-agricultural sectors such as pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, gold & jewellery and leather products also registered significant declines. (The Indian Express)
The major reason behind India's success was export market diversification rather than dependence on a single destination.Instead of relying heavily on the US market, Indian exporters expanded shipments to countries such as:
This diversification helped compensate for declining exports to the United States, particularly in frozen shrimp and prawn exports. (The Indian Express)
Marine exports reached an all-time high of over USD 8.4 billion, registering 13.9% growth.The increase was primarily driven by higher exports to China, Vietnam, Japan and European countries, offsetting losses in the US market. (The Indian Express)
Exports increased by 25.6% to approximately USD 5.1 billion, surpassing the previous record achieved in FY 2014-15.Major importing countries included:
Export quantity also increased from 12.5 lakh tonnes to 14.2 lakh tonnes. (The Indian Express)
India's coffee exports crossed USD 2 billion for the first time.The primary reasons were:
India mainly exports Robusta coffee beans and instant coffee blends to markets including Italy, Germany, Russia, UAE and Belgium. (The Indian Express)
Exports of fresh fruits and vegetables also achieved record levels.Major export destinations included:
Key exported products comprised grapes, mangoes, pomegranates, bananas, onions, tomatoes, potatoes and green chillies. (The Indian Express)
Despite overall resilience, exports of several important products remained below previous peak levels, including:
This indicates that export diversification has not been uniform across all agricultural commodities. (The Indian Express)
Agricultural imports continue to rise, concentrated mainly in a few commodities.
| Commodity | Key Observation |
|---|---|
| Vegetable Oils | Record imports of 169.4 lakh tonnes |
| Pulses | Imports declined from previous year's peak but remain high due to domestic shortage |
| Fresh Fruits | Imports crossed USD 3.5 billion, largely from the US |
| Raw Cotton | India has become a net importer due to domestic production shortfalls |
India currently produces only about:
The remaining demand is met through imports. (The Indian Express)
India was once among the world's largest exporters of raw cotton.However, recent years have witnessed:
Consequently, cotton imports have exceeded exports during FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26. (The Indian Express)
Although India remains a net exporter of agricultural products, the surplus has steadily declined.
| Year | Agricultural Trade Surplus |
|---|---|
| FY 2013-14 | USD 27.7 billion |
| FY 2025-26 | USD 12.7 billion |
The narrowing surplus reflects:
The performance demonstrates that export diversification is an effective strategy against trade protectionism. Reduced dependence on a single market enhances resilience against geopolitical shocks, tariff barriers and changing global demand. At the same time, rising imports of essential agricultural commodities highlight the need to improve domestic productivity, strengthen oilseed and pulse production, promote agricultural technology adoption, and expand value-added exports.
Ministry: Ministry of Commerce & IndustryRole
Established: 1862Headquarters: Washington D.C., United StatesPresent Secretary: Brooke RollinsFunctions
Global Coffee Stocks (Ending Stocks) Projection
Updated – 14 May 2026 | 09:59 AM IST | News Source – The Indian Express