Howard Lutnick Warns India: Buy Corn or Risk Market Access

In a fiery escalation ahead of delicate trade negotiations, Howard Lutnick, the United States Secretary of Commerce, has warned that India risks losing access to the lucrative United States market unless it begins purchasing American-grown corn. The comments mark yet another flashpoint in the already strained trade relationship between the two democracies.

Speaking on the Axios Show over the weekend, Lutnick launched a scathing tirade, questioning why India, a nation he said “brags about having 1.4 billion people,” refuses to buy “even one bushel” of U.S. corn. He added, “Doesn’t that rub you the wrong way? The President says bring down the tariffs… we have to right years of wrong. You either accept it or you are going to have a tough time doing business with the world’s greatest consumer.”

Howard Lutnick: Turning Up the Heat Despite Trump Dialing Down

Lutnick’s outburst is particularly striking because it comes just days after Donald Trump himself appeared to soften his rhetoric on India. Earlier this year, Lutnick had warned he would “sort out” New Delhi for buying Russian oil and predicted India would “say sorry” and strike a deal with Trump “in a month or two.”

Instead of backing off, he has doubled down, using what many analysts describe as “blunt-force diplomacy” that risks derailing ongoing talks on tariff reduction, digital trade, and market access.

U.S. Agriculture Lobby Pressures the White House

Lutnick’s remarks come amid growing anxiety within the American farm belt. With China increasingly sourcing corn and soybeans from Brazil, U.S. farmers have been left struggling to find stable buyers. Several lawmakers, including Republican senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Don Bacon of Nebraska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have warned that some farmers are “one crop away from bankruptcy” due to Trump’s tariff battles.

Farm-state disquiet has reportedly pushed White House trade strategists like Peter Navarro and Scott Bessent to amplify their hardline stance, with Lutnick emerging as the loudest voice demanding concessions from India.

Howard Lutnick: India Pushes Back With Facts

Indian trade interlocutors, however, argue that the U.S. knows precisely why India does not import American corn—and public browbeating only hardens positions. They cite three key reasons:

1. Self-sufficiency: India is the world’s fifth-largest corn producer and at times even exports surplus corn.

2. GMO Concerns: Most American corn is genetically modified, while India generally does not allow imports of GM crops (except cotton).

3. Protecting Rural Livelihoods: Nearly 500 million Indians depend on agriculture, and opening the floodgates to heavily subsidized U.S. farm products could devastate their fragile livelihoods.

While New Delhi has shown some openness to limited U.S. corn imports for ethanol production, officials say Lutnick’s inflammatory tone—laced with factual inaccuracies—makes even small compromises politically toxic.

“Public grandstanding may play well on television, but it damages the space for constructive dialogue,” one Indian negotiator remarked off the record.

Misrepresenting Trade Reality

Lutnick claimed the U.S.-India relationship was “one-way,” accusing India of “taking advantage” and “blocking” U.S. companies. In reality, trade between the two countries is far more balanced than his comments suggest.

In 2024, India exported about $87.3 billion worth of goods to the U.S., while the U.S. exported $41.5 billion worth of goods to India, including major defense sales. The bilateral trade deficit, at $45.8 billion, is already projected to shrink to around $40 billion in 2025 as India ramps up purchases of American products. Meanwhile, services trade between the two nations is nearly even.

Also Read : Prisha Tapre: Record-Breaking Channel Endurance Swimmer