BT India@100: 'In India, you can import anything from anywhere at 30%' — Amul MD Jayen Mehta on Trump's 'tariff king' jibe at India

Amul MD Jayen Mehta addressed Trump's 'tariff king' claim against India and said that Amul has been exporting to the US for the last 25 years. Speaking at the BT India@100 Summit, Mehta highlighted that, unlike India, the US charges different import duties for different items. 

Jayen Mehta said, "There is a misunderstanding that we are called the 'tariff king'. A kilo of ghee, before August 1, was 50 per cent and a kilo of shrikhand at 75 per cent import duty in the US. The US charges 40-60 per cent duty on its products, whereas in India, whatever you can import from anywhere in the world, it's 30 per cent duty."

He also said that Amul would not face much impact due to the additional 25 per cent tariff levied by the US on Indian imports. 

"People were paying that because the Indian diaspora wants Amul butter and cheese, and they were paying 50 per cent duty. Those who want good quality will buy it and we should not be worried about it."

Calling protein a 'global currency', Mehta said that Amul is looking to export its 'value-oriented protein products'. 

Furthermore, he backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his strong statement in support of Indian farmers, as the India-US trade deal negotiations are on despite US President Donald Trump's tariffs on India, which total to 50 per cent. 

In his first reaction to Trump's tariffs, Prime Minister Modi said that India is prepared to pay the price, but there will be no compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers. 

“We (Amul) would like to thank and salute PM Narendra Modi for his support and commitment [to] the farmers of the country. He recognises the labour and the livelihood issues of millions of farmers and women of our country,” Mehta said at the BT India@100 Summit. 

Previously, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said that while agricultural reforms are key, they should not appear externally driven and that any consensus on the issue must come from within.

He further said: “It wouldn’t surprise me if our negotiators are telling the other side: don’t expect agri concessions through trade pacts.”