A new trade era: U.S. sends first turkey shipment to India

WASHINGTON — Turkey is certainly taking centerstage this month, not only because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but because the first shipment of U.S.-grown turkey has been sent to India.

This export shipment stems from trade agreements and tariff reduction negotiations that began between the U.S. and India in 2023. This inaugural cargo contains turkey that was raised by the Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative and left from the state’s Port of Virginia.

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), a co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, notes that this first shipment marks a historic milestone for international trade by placing more U.S. produced turkey into the global market.

“This shipment is a tremendous opportunity for Virginia’s poultry producers and a huge step forward for U.S.-India trade,” Warner said in a statement. “As co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, I look forward to the ongoing cooperation between our two nations and to seeing a wealth of new opportunities open up for Virginia’s poultry producers.”

“Our turkey producers have long been committed to providing safe, nutritious, and versatile protein options worldwide, and we’re excited to see Indian consumers experience the exceptional quality of American turkey,” Leslee Oden, National Turkey Federation president and CEO, said. “This first shipment is a testament to the strength of U.S.-India trade relations and a reflection of our shared commitment to expanding food diversity and quality.”

This new era of trade with India comes from efforts in 2023, which preceded a U.S. visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as the G20 Leader’s Summit in New Delhi, India, where senators and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai worked to increase U.S. market access and to lower high tariff rates on such products as frozen whole turkeys, turkey parts and frozen duck.

“As a result of our work, U.S. agricultural producers and manufacturers will now enjoy renewed access to a critical global market and we will strengthen our trade relationship with one of our closest partners,” Tai said during the 2023 negotiations.

During the time when the India trade tariff reductions were announced, Greg Tyler, USA Poultry & Egg Export Council president and CEO, said, “We very much appreciate our government’s ongoing efforts to increase access for U.S. poultry and egg products in India. The lowering of tariffs on turkey meat and for some duck exports is a great success. We hope that in the future we are able to gain better access for chicken and to expand access for duck, as well, which can help to further address the protein needs of Indian consumers.”

This inaugural turkey shipment to India is also an export market boost to Virginia’s poultry producers. Virginia ranks as the sixth largest turkey producing state with approximately 14.5 million birds. Poultry provides about $13.6 billion in economic activity for the Commonwealth.

“Virgina turkey farmers are pleased to offer high quality, lean protein for export to India,” Hobey Bauhan, Virginia Poultry Federation president, said, “and we are grateful for those who facilitated this opportunity.”

John King, Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative president, added that the cooperative, “. . . is excited to be part of this new market opportunity. We thank Senator Warner and the many dedicated individuals who have worked tirelessly to make this a reality. Their efforts will directly benefit our nearly 200 independent grower owners.”

The Port of Virginia in Norfolk also announced earlier this year that it now provides shipment to the Indian Subcontinent.

“This is an important development because it gives exporters quicker access to the Indian Subcontinent, which is an up-and-coming market and an area that holds a lot of trade potential,” Stephen A. Edwards, Virginia Port Authority CEO and executive director, said. “There is a lot of interest and growing cargo volumes in this trade alone. This is an excellent opportunity for exporters of agricultural products . . . to quickly get their products to this area of the world.”

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