Indian farmers call for boycott of U.S. goods amid escalating trade tensions

08/17/2025 / By Laura Harris

Indian farmers’ groups have launched nationwide protests and a boycott of select American goods, particularly beverages and processed foods, in response to U.S. trade policies.
The U.S. imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, citing India’s Russian oil purchases, with a second 25 percent hike set for Aug. 27, effectively doubling the tariff to 50 percent.
Tensions escalated after India refused U.S. demands to open its agricultural market and reduce energy ties with Moscow, leading to a breakdown in trade talks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India would never compromise the interests of farmers, fishermen or dairy workers, even at “heavy personal cost” and reaffirmed agriculture as a national priority.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs criticized the U.S. tariffs as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” asserting India’s right to secure energy for its 1.4 billion citizens based on market needs.

Farmers’ groups across India have launched a boycott of selected American products following the collapse of trade talks between Washington and New Delhi, alongside the U.S.’s imposition of new tariffs targeting Indian exports.

The protest comes as tensions flare over Washington’s twin demands: Access to India’s tightly regulated agricultural market for U.S. companies and a rollback of New Delhi’s continued energy ties with Moscow. In response to India’s refusal to concede on both counts, the U.S. has imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports and announced an additional 25 percent tariff set to take effect on Aug. 27, citing India’s ongoing purchases of Russian oil.

Farmers, already wary of foreign intrusion into their domestic agricultural systems, are taking their opposition to the streets. “No farmer should buy Coca-Cola. It’s time to start having lemonade and buffalo milk at home,” said one protester during a tractor rally in Greater Noida, near Delhi.

Another farmer at the rally warned of the economic blowback: “Indian agricultural produce going to the U.S. will fall under the 50 percent tariff regime. Due to this hike, farmers will only get half the profit, and the U.S. will get 50 percent more from import tax.” (Related: Brazil and India forge strategic alliance amid U.S. tariff onslaught.)

The boycott call specifically targets high-profile American consumer goods, including beverages and processed foods, as symbols of economic pressure.

Modi’s defiant stand against Trump’s tariff

Before the protests to boycott U.S. products even started, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already declared that India would never compromise the interests of its farmers, fishermen or dairy workers, even if it meant paying a “heavy personal price.”

The Indian leader said at the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order doubling tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent: “For us, the welfare of our farmers is the highest priority. India will never compromise on the interests of its farmers, livestock rearers and fishermen.

“I know that I will have to pay a heavy personal price for this. But I am ready for it. India stands prepared today for its fishermen, livestock rearers and every farmer of this nation.

“We are consistently working towards increasing farmers’ incomes, reducing the cost of cultivation and creating new sources of earnings. Our government has considered the strength of farmers as the foundation of the nation’s progress.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) echoed a similar stance. The MEA strongly condemned the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable” and vowed that New Delhi will take “all actions necessary to protect its national interests.”

“The U.S. has in recent days targeted India’s oil imports from Russia. We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India,” the ministry said.

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