India Firm on Ban of Soybean and Maize Imports from US

28-Jul-2025 11:43 AM

New Delhi. Despite all the American requests and pressure, India is not ready to open its market for America's maize and soybean. There is a ban on the production, import, trade and use of genetically modified (GM) crops in India.

The only exception to this is BT cotton which is considered a non-edible product. The Indian government does not want to compromise on its principles.

According to high-ranking sources, America mainly produces GM varieties of maize and soybean, so it is not possible to allow its import in India at the moment.

For this, the government will first have to amend the rules and convince Indian farmers and environmental organizations, which is not an easy task. This is a matter of principle and the government does not want to take a soft stand on it.

It is worth noting that during the bilateral trade talks, America is constantly pressuring India to completely open its market for its soybean and maize.

America wants India to start importing soymeal and maize from it on a large scale. But firstly, GM crops are produced in America and secondly, India generally does not need or needs to import it in negligible quantity.

In the year 2024, America remained the largest exporter of corn and the second largest exporter of soybean in the world. China and Mexico were its two largest buyers but the matter has become complicated due to the American tariff policy.

China is already increasing the import of soybean from Brazil instead of America, while due to the American tariff policy, it may have to decide to increase the import of Brazilian soybean even more. In view of this, the Trump administration wants to use India as a big alternative market. But India has its own problem.