WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) has joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in urging United States Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer to prioritize improved market access for American agricultural exports in India. The focus of their efforts includes U.S. ethanol, distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and soybean meal (SBM).
This initiative follows a similar push last month by Congressman Schmidt, along with Kansas Representative Tracey Mann and other colleagues, to boost Kansas sorghum producers’ access to the Indian market. With India now surpassing China as the world’s most populous nation, expanding trade with India could offer a significant counterweight to ongoing trade tensions with China.
Kansas plays a substantial role in U.S. exports, with over $14 billion in goods across various industries exported in 2024. As of 2022, Kansas exports are estimated to support 66,000 jobs within the state.
In their letter to Ambassador Greer, the lawmakers highlighted India’s expressed willingness to engage in high-volume agricultural trade negotiations with the U.S. They noted that increased demand for American farmers is a key opportunity. The potential long-term demand for DDGS alone could reach two million metric tons annually, valued at $500 million, potentially making India the second-largest export market for DDGS, behind Mexico. For ethanol, India is already the third-largest export destination, with 170 million gallons valued at $393 million. The lawmakers believe that further reducing existing market barriers could unlock an additional $400 million in ethanol exports. They expressed encouragement regarding the rapid progress in reciprocal trade negotiations between the U.S. and India, anticipating benefits for American farmers in the near future, particularly concerning DDGS and SBM exports that comply with India’s strict non-GMO import restrictions.
The letter also underscored the broader context of increasing U.S. agricultural exports to reduce the trade deficit, aligning with President Trump’s America First agenda. Despite American farmers continually increasing yield per acre with fewer inputs—corn and soybean production have risen by 20 percent and 31 percent respectively since 2010—commodity prices have dropped by over 30 percent in the past three years. This trend intensifies the need to expand export markets to manage increasing supplies. The lawmakers concluded that U.S. ethanol, DDGS, and SBM exports to India represent an “easy win” for American farmers and an effective way to address the federal trade deficit through mutually beneficial trade.
This effort has garnered support from prominent agricultural organizations, including the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association.
Joining Representatives Schmidt, Smith, and Feenstra in this initiative are Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01), Ron Estes (KS-04), Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), Tony Wied (WI-08), Don Bacon (NE-02), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Mike Flood (NE-01), Mike Carey (OH-15), Darin LaHood (IL-16), Max Miller (OH-07), Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Brad Finstad (MN-01), and Mark Messmer (IN-08).
