In its delicate negotiations on agricultural items under the proposed trade deal with the United States (US), India has drawn clear red lines, categorising its farm commodities into three distinct buckets — non-negotiable, very sensitive, and liberal — based on their economic and political sensitivity, said a government official.
Staples such as rice and wheat fall under the non-negotiable category, where no tariff concessions will be entertained. Very sensitive items — such as apples, which carry political weight and are closely tied to farmer interests in states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand — may face restricted concessions, possibly through minimum