New Delhi, Dec. 4 -- It finally happened. Effective 13 November 2025, President Donald Trump of the United States of America exempted 225 agricultural items, fresh and processed, from tariffs termed 'reciprocal' but actually unilaterally country-specific. The new zero-tariff list is product-specific, not differentiated by country.

For Indian exports on the new list, tariffs came down to zero from 50%. They cover a wide range from fruits and nuts like mangoes and coconuts to processed foods like coffee and tea extracts (masala tea powders) and even vegetable waxes. In value terms, Indian agricultural exports to the US were valued at $1 billion in the pre-tariff era, roughly one-sixth of total agricultural exports by value.

The precipitat...