Daal diplomacy: Pleasing the US, punishing Canada

Canada is the top supplier of masur daal (lentils) to India, followed by Australia and the US

- Dhirendra Kumar

India may allow duty-free imports of US pulses, particularly lentils and dry peas, under a proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), two people aware of the matter said, amid trade tensions between the two nations.

The plan is part of an attempt to keep the US happy and Canada at bay as India's relations with Ottawa have soured. This means a proposed move to impose an import duty on masur (lentils) will impact Canada, one of India's main suppliers, while sparing the US.

"With the import duty applicable to all exporting nations, the US will get duty-free access for a fixed quantity of lentils, similar to the arrangement India has with Australia under a trade agreement," said the first person.

Domestic production of lentils has been rising over the past few years, from 1.27 million tonnes (mt) in FY22 to 1.56mt in FY23 and 1.8mt in FY24, according to agriculture ministry data.