New Delhi, Aug. 21 -- India is now among the countries facing the highest country-specific import tariffs imposed by the current US government. A steep 25% duty has been levied on Indian exports to the US, one of the highest among our competitors and neighbours. This is likely to rise to 50% from next week, when an add-on penalty for our trade relationship with Russia-mainly our purchases of crude oil-is scheduled to come into play.

The fate of this punitive duty seems to depend on a host of factors, with the outcome of US-Russia negotiations on Ukraine possibly part of Washington's calculus. But an important factor acting as an impediment to the successful closure of an India-US trade agreement is agriculture.

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