Seven members of Congress from California sent President Trump a letter on Feb. 12 ahead of his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi, whom he hosted Feb. 13 at the White House.Â
Tariffs have been at the forefront of this administration, with President Trump planning reciprocal tariffs on every country taxing U.S. imports, including India, which is a key export market for U.S.-grown tree nuts.
California produces about 80% of the world’s almonds, over 60% of the world’s pistachios, and over 90% of U.S. walnuts, the letter notes. This provides over 100,000 jobs and billions of dollars to the U.S. economy, including $5.8 billion in almond exports in 2024 and $1.3 billion in walnut exports in 2022-2023.
Tariff negotiations echo that of June 2019, when India imposed retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. that affected various tree nuts.
Though not mentioned in the letter, pecans have also been affected by tariffs, including higher import duties than other tree nuts. In 2023, the industry saw some relief when the 100% import duty was cut to 30%.
The U.S. share of the walnut market has dramatically decreased over the years as Chile and China continue to increase acreage. Chile continues to hold market dominance for walnuts in India, and Australian almonds are currently given preferential treatment under the Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.
The letter was signed by the following:
Vince Fong (R) – CA-20
Tom McClintock (R) – CA-5
David Valadao (R) – CA-22
Adam Gray (D) – CA-13
Doug LaMalfa (R) – CA-1
Jim Costa (D) – CA-21
Josh Harder (D) – CA-9
Click here to read the letter.Â
Other Articles
The Dark Side of Biochar
