India Not Ready to Import US GM Corn and Soybeans

25-Dec-2025 07:39 PM

New Delhi. Although the US is exerting immense pressure on India to open its market to American GM corn and soybeans, the Indian government is not prepared to succumb to this pressure.

India has strict restrictions on the import of GM food products, and the government does not intend to lift them.

In fact, China has long since stopped importing corn and soybeans from the US, making it difficult for American farmers to sell their produce at profitable prices.

At the end of October 2025, the presidents of China and the US met, during which China agreed to buy soybeans from the US. It is understood that since then, Chinese importers have shown considerable interest in buying American soybeans and have even contracted for the import of approximately 7 million tons,

but the shipment has not yet begun, nor has a single grain of American soybean reached a Chinese port. The last time China imported soybeans from the US was in May 2025.

The US is so desperate to increase its agricultural exports to the Chinese market that it is even willing to offer significant tariff concessions to China, but China is still showing resistance.

The US sees India as a vast alternative market for its corn and soybeans, while India has its own reasons for not importing them. India is almost self-sufficient in corn production, and despite the increase in domestic demand and consumption, it does not need to import corn, or the need is negligible.

As far as soybeans are concerned, India prioritizes the import of soybean oil instead of soybeans. A small quantity of soybeans is imported, but these are sourced from African countries because their soybeans are non-GM.