US Senator Daines visits India to advocate for Montana pulse farmers amid high duties

Union Minister Piyush Goyal meets US Senator Steve Daines and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, in New Delhi on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
@PiyushGoyalX/ANI Photo

US Senator Steve Daines said his visit to India was to advocate for Montana’s pulse farmers, who faced high duties in India, and that he would continue to work with US President Donald Trump to push the matter.

Daines, who represents the US State of Montana, and Kevin Cramer, US Senator from North Dakota, recently wrote to Trump asking him to push for “favorable pulse crop provisions” in any agreement the United States signs with India.

Strategic partnership

“I came to India to reaffirm our two countries’ shared values and strategic partnership and to advocate on behalf of Montana’s pulse crop farmers. I appreciated Minister Goyal for listening to our farmers’ concerns and will continue to work with President Trump to press this important priority,” Daines was quoted in a press statement by the US Mission, India, on Tuesday.

Daines’ visit is significant, as India and the US are working to resolve unresolved issues in ongoing bilateral trade agreement negotiations. India has so far been protecting its sensitivities in agriculture, but the US has been pressing for greater market access.

Market access

“While in India, Senator Daines pursued interests of the Trump Administration as well as the people of Montana, including urging favorable pulse crop provisions in any future trade agreements between the US and India,” the statement noted.

Montana is the top pulse crop producer in the US, and India is the world’s top consumer. Daines sought to accelerate the active and ongoing talks toward concluding a fair and reciprocal bilateral trade deal, it added.

Import duty issue

In their letter to Trump on January 16, Daines and Cramer pointed out that India implemented a 30 per cent import duty on yellow peas on November 1, 2025, which has created a significant competitive disadvantage for US pulse crop producers when exporting to India.

Bilateral relations

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who took office in Delhi earlier this month, said that senior government officials will regularly travel to India as both countries work to intensify relations. “As a key member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with extensive experience in Asia, Senator Daines’ meetings with official and private sector stakeholders in New Delhi were instrumental in advancing our bilateral relationship,” he said.

Published on January 20, 2026