US Blocks Import of 15 Indian Mango Shipments

Speedy Summary

• India is the largest mango producer in the world,contributing 52% of global mango production with an annual output of approximately 2.62 crore tons.
• During the mango season, India exports around 22,000-23,000 metric tonnes of mangoes to the US annually, valued at over Rs 412 crore in FY 2022-23.
• Recently, the US rejected and ordered destruction of 15 Indian mango consignments worth Rs 4 crore at airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta.
• The rejected batches were certified under protocol by USFDA’s Mumbai office (PPQ203 certification), raising questions about how these certifications came to be invalidated by US authorities after arrival.
• Speculation surrounds whether these rejections might have been intentional and aimed at benefiting competitors like Pakistan or driven by geopolitical motives. However, no conclusive evidence supports this claim as yet.
• Comparatively, Pakistan exported only 813 metric tonnes of mangoes valued at Rs 12 crore to the US during FY2022-23.

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Indian Opinion Analysis
The rejection of certified Indian mango consignments raises notable concerns about regulatory clarity and trade reliability between India and the United States. given that these shipments adhered to existing phytosanitary processes with certifications issued under U.S.-approved protocols in Mumbai, their subsequent disqualification highlights potential gaps or inefficiencies within bilateral systems for cross-border inspection standards.

For a country like India that holds a dominant global position in agriculture exports like mangos-especially where high-export markets are critical-such events could hurt its reputation as a reliable exporter unless resolved transparently. Furthermore, since export statistics strongly favor Indian dominance over countries such as Pakistan for U.S.-bound shipments (10 times higher volume),attributing this issue solely to geopolitics may lack sufficient factual support untill further investigations clarify any wrongdoing either procedurally or intentionally.

To ensure robust trade relations amidst growing demands abroad for premium-quality fruits from india’s agricultural base going forward stronger arbitration but.requires push