Browse Data and Analysis

On May 24, 2022, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry/Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued Public Notice No. 10/2015-20 (May 24, 2022) (see, Appendix I). The public notice specifies that India is allocating a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) of 2 million metric tons (MMT) for crude soybean oil and a similar TRQ of 2 MMT for crude sunflower oil in India fiscal year (IFY) 2022/23 and in IFY 2023/24. The Indian government’s measure is meant to address the high domestic prices of edible oils, and to check rising food inflation.

Heat stress resulting from an unprecedented spike in temperatures beginning in the mid-March 2022 has had a marked impact India’s wheat crop. Yields are 10-15 percent down, driving India’s forecasted market year (MY) 2022/23 (April-March) wheat production down from 110 million metric tons (MMT) to 99 MMT.

On May 2, 2022, the Ministry of Consumer, Food and Public Distribution, through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade announced approval for the importation of an additional 550,000 metric tons (MT) of soybean meal (including GE derived).

On Friday, May 13, 2022, the Indian government announced a ban on wheat exports, effective immediately, citing the sudden spike in global wheat prices and the resulting food security risks to India.

India notified its draft Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) (Second Amendment) Order (2022), to the Sanitary-Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is inviting comments.

Through its phased-in tariff reductions, the agreement will raise challenges for U.S. products including wine and spirits, cotton, pulses and beans, forest products, and tree nuts.

From February 13-17, 2022, FAS New Delhi and Mumbai representatives participated in a trade mission to Gulfood 2022, the world’s largest food and beverage trade show held annually in Dubai.

Indian centrifugal sugar production in market year (MY) 2022/2023 (October-September) is forecast to decline three percent to 35.8 million metric tons (MMT), equivalent to 33.4 MMT of crystal white sugar after a record production of 36.8 MMT (equivalent to 34.4 MMT of crystal white sugar) in MY 2021/2022.

On April 13, 2022, the Government of India rescinded its cotton import duty of 10 percent until September 30, 2022. This import duty consists of a five percent basic customs duty and a five percent Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC), which has been reversed to “Nil” until the end of the Indian cotton marketing year (October/September).

The 2021 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world.

On March 29, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued order number Std/SP-05/Orders/FSSAI [E-1317], pertaining to the Food Safety and Standards (Food for Infant Nutrition) Regulations (2020). The new FSSAI order extends the implementation date of the regulations to October 1, 2022.

India’s sweets and snacks market continues to expand rapidly thanks to rising incomes and holiday/corporate gifting. COVID-19 accelerated the industry’s adoption of digital marketing/delivery platforms, leading to new partnerships with organized retailers.