The first commercial sea shipment of Indian pomegranates has successfully reached the United States on Saturday marking a landmark development for India's fresh fruit exports. The shipment, consisting of the coveted Bhagwa variety from Maharashtra, arrived in New York to widespread acclaim for its premium quality.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry highlighted the significance of this historic shipment, marking a key step in introducing Indian pomegranates to distant markets such as the United States.
While Indian pomegranates have traditionally been shipped by air, this sea shipment represents a more cost-effective and sustainable method of export, ensuring that the fruit maintains its quality even during the prolonged journey.
The export was facilitated by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in collaboration with the USDA-APHIS, National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) of India, and the ICAR-National Research Centre for Pomegranate, Solapur.
After a series of successful trial shipments and static tests, which extended the fruit's shelf life to 60 days, APEDA flagged off the consignment in February 2024.
The consignment, weighing 14 tonnes and containing 4,620 boxes of pomegranates, was sent by Kay Bee Exports from Mumbai.
The fruit was directly sourced from local farms, benefiting Indian farmers by connecting them to global markets. APEDA's pre-clearance programme with the USDA played a critical role in streamlining the export process.
Abhishek Dev, Chairman of APEDA, expressed his optimism about the future of Indian fruit exports.
"The Government of India has been at the forefront in promoting Indian fresh fruits for the global market. APEDA has been supporting the export of Indian fruits like Mangoes and Pomegranates to the USA by funding the pre-clearance programme. Indian farmers will achieve better realisation when their fruit gets exported to premium international markets like the USA. Indian mangoes have already reached annual exports of around 3,500 tonnes and we hope that Pomegranates will also reach such strong numbers in the years to come," Dev remarked.
The Ministry also pointed out that during the financial year 2023-24, India exported 72,011 metric tonnes of pomegranates, valued at USD 69.08 million. This represents a 21 per cent increase in pomegranate exports, with a value of USD 59.76 million in the period from April to January 2024-2025.
Key export destinations include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bangladesh, Nepal, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bahrain, Oman, and the USA.
Did the Trump tariff impact pomegranate exports
As of April 2025, the shipment of Indian pomegranates to the United States does not fall under President Donald Trump's new tariff policies.
While the administration has imposed a 10% flat tariff on imports and is considering higher reciprocal tariffs, these measures primarily target countries with significant trade deficits with the U.S., such as China, Japan, and the European Union . India is not currently included in these targeted countries.
However, it's important to note that the U.S. Commerce Department has announced a 20.91% duty on most tomatoes imported from Mexico, effective July 14, 2025 .
This shift indicates that the administration is actively reviewing and adjusting tariffs on agricultural imports. Therefore, while Indian pomegranates are not presently affected, future shipments could be subject to new tariffs if U.S. trade policies change.
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