Shares of Indian rice exporters witnessed selling pressure on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump warned at the possibility of fresh tariffs on agricultural imports, including Indian rice. The comments rattled investor sentiment, pulling down stocks of major exporters such as LT Foods, GRM Overseas, AWL Agri Business (Adani Wilmar), and others.

Among individual stocks, LT Foods was the top loser, falling nearly 8% intraday to ₹362.20. The company owns brands such as Daawat, Royal, Heritage, Rozana, Devaaya, 817 Elephant, Gold Seal Indus Valley, ecoLife (organic), and Kari Kari (snacks), catering to domestic and international markets.

KRBL, one of India’s largest Basmati exporters, dropped as much as 2.7% to ₹370 per share. However, paring early losses, the stock rebounded over 2%. It manages brands including India Gate, Nur Jahan, Telephone, Train, Unity, Lotus, Doon, Aarati, Al Wisam, Bemisal, Quilada, Indian Farm, and Granny's Kitchen, targeting markets in India, the Middle East, Europe, the USA, and Southeast Asia, with India Gate as its flagship brand domestically.

Among others, AWL Agri Business, GRM Overseas, and Chaman Lal Setia Exports also saw marginal declines.

Meanwhile, Indian benchmark indices –BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty – were trading lower, down 0.3% at the time of reporting.

The sell-off in agri stocks were triggered by President Trump’s remarks during a White House meeting, where he indicated that tariffs could be used “aggressively” to protect U.S. farmers. Notably, Indian companies are major global players, contributing over 40% of the worldwide rice trade, with key markets in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America.

Responding to Trump’s comments on Indian rice, Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) has said that rice exports to the United States remain strictly demand-driven, with most shipments executed against advance purchase orders from U.S.-based importers.

“The Indian rice export industry is resilient and globally competitive. While the U.S. is an important destination, India’s rice exports are well-diversified across global markets. The Federation, in close coordination with the Government of India, continues to deepen existing trade partnerships and open new markets for Indian rice,” Dev Garg, Vice President, Indian Rice Exporters Federation, said.

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