Top Food Products Exported from India to the USA: India–US Trade Explained

Key Highlights

1. India exported $79.44 billion worth of goods to the United States in 2024.
2. Seafood, especially shrimp, dominates India’s food exports to the US market.
3. Spices remain a historic and high-demand export category for the US food industry.
4. Basmati rice exports continue growing due to rising global cuisine adoption.
5. Honey, tea, coffee, and processed foods support steady ingredient trade.
6. India supplies diverse food ingredients powering America’s massive food manufacturing sector.

When people talk about global trade, the spotlight often falls on large commodity routes. But the India–United States corridor deserves equal attention. But the question is, what does India export to the USA in the food sector? Well, the US market constantly absorbs ingredients that feed its enormous food industry, while India supplies a broad basket of agricultural products — from spices and rice to seafood and honey.

If you look closely at the numbers, one thing becomes clear. The United States buys a lot of food ingredients from the world. And India happens to sit on a very wide agricultural basket. Spices, rice, seafood, honey, fruits and the list keeps stretching on and on. So the trade connection almost builds itself.

Keep reading this informative piece of blog if you want to major export products from India to the USA. This blog will provide vital information on which of these India exports with credible statistics.

Major Exports of India to the USA in the Food Sector.

In 2024, India exported roughly $79.44 billion worth of goods to the United States. Not all of that is food, of course. But the food and agricultural segment is quite active. Some products move quietly in the background. Others show up on trade charts year after year.

Below are some of the best selling Indian products in the USA in the food sector. Each product has its relevance and caters to the demands of the market. The tariffs and geopolitics play a critical role in the trade flow. Yet, the demand does stay consistent for these products. But yes, you'll get to know what does India export to the USA at large.

Major Exports of India to USA in the Food Sector

Spices, the Best Selling Indian Products in USA

If there is one food product category that refuses to fade from the story of major exports of India to the USA, it’s spices. That trade has been around for centuries. And in many ways, it still looks familiar.

Take pepper.

In 2024, India exported about $176.68 million worth of pepper to the United States. Now most of that pepper doesn’t appear as a raw ingredient on grocery shelves. Instead, it disappears into seasoning factories. Snack food companies. Sauce manufacturers.

That’s the thing about spices. Small ingredients. Huge industrial use.

Then come the spice seeds — coriander, cumin, fennel, anise. Together these exports reached about $81.46 million.

And another cluster follows right behind. Ginger, turmeric, saffron, thyme, bay leaves. Combined exports there stood around $66.83 million.

If you step back, the logic is pretty straightforward. The American food industry constantly needs flavor ingredients. Indian suppliers produce them at scale. That’s where the trade connection stays alive and thus spices are among the best selling Indian products in the USA.

Tea: Quiet Trade, Steady Demand

Tea rarely creates dramatic headlines in the export products from India to the USA. But it moves consistently.

India exported about $66.20 million worth of tea to the United States In 2024.

Some of that tea lands on supermarket shelves in retail packaging. But a good portion goes straight into the hands of beverage companies and blending businesses.

And here’s something interesting.

Some of that tea lands on supermarket shelves in retail packaging. But a good portion goes straight into the hands of beverage companies and blending businesses.

And here’s something interesting.

The American tea market has been changing slowly. Herbal blends, organic teas, specialty flavors — these segments have been gaining attention. Indian tea exporters, with their long history in tea cultivation, fit neatly into that supply chain.

So the trade continues. Not explosive. But steady.

Coffee and Aromatic Spices

Coffee exports from India to the US are smaller compared to tea or pepper. Still, the trade exists when talking about major product exports from India to the USA.

Coffee and coffee substitutes exports reached about $16.12 million the year 2024.

But the more interesting story sits around coffee — the aromatic spices that travel alongside it.

For example:

• Nutmeg, mace, and cardamoms exports reached about $16.70 million
• Cinnamon exports stood around $6.11 million
• Cloves exports came in near $3.88 million

These spices don’t move in massive volumes individually. Yet they quietly power large parts of the food industry. Bakeries use them. Beverage companies use them. Packaged food brands rely on them for flavor balance.

Sometimes the smallest ingredients run the biggest flavor business.

Rice: A Strong and Reliable Export

Rice exports between India and the United States tell another interesting story when it comes to the major product exports from India to the USA.

India exported roughly $380.50 million worth of rice shipments to the US In 2024.

And guess what? Much of this trade interestingly revolves around Basmati rice. Originally, the demand came largely from South Asian communities living in America. The market definitely widened over time.

American consumers have been curiously experimenting more with global cuisines. Restaurants, meal kits, and specialty grocery stores now carry Basmati rice as a regular product.

So the demand keeps moving.

Not in sudden spikes. But in steady shipments.

Seafood: The Heavyweight in the Trade

Now if one category clearly dominates India’s food exports to the United States, it’s seafood.

More specifically — shrimp.

India exported about $1.86 billion worth of crustaceans to the US In 2024. That number alone dwarfs most other food export categories.

Alongside that, prepared or preserved fish products added another $61.20 million to the trade.

The US seafood market is massive. Domestic production covers only part of the demand. Imports fill the rest.

India, with its large aquaculture industry, stepped right into that gap.

Of course, the trade comes with strict rules and all that compliance stuff like FDA compliance, traceability, safety checks. But exporters who manage those requirements gain access to one of the largest seafood markets in the world.

Processed Fruits and Vegetable Ingredients

Another part of the trade operates quietly in the background — processed fruit and vegetable products.

These exports rarely appear directly on grocery shelves. Instead, they move into the food manufacturing sector.

In 2024:

• Vegetables and fruits preserved in vinegar reached about $62.82 million
• Other prepared fruit and plant products accounted for $41.35 million
• Frozen vegetables exports stood near $23.79 million

These ingredients feed into sauces, pickles, ready meals, and snack production.

Consumers rarely notice them. But food factories certainly do.

Honey and Dairy Products

Honey exports from India have been growing steadily.

Natural honey exports to the United States reached a massive figure of about $139.20 million In 2024.

Honey travels into several sectors — bakeries, breakfast cereals, health foods, beverage companies. It’s one of those ingredients that quietly sits inside many products.

There are also smaller dairy exports.

For instance:

• Butter and milk fats exports reached around $22.77 million
• Cheese and curd exports stood near $10.99 million

Not huge volumes compared to seafood or spices. But still part of the broader trade picture.

Fruits and Nuts

Fresh and processed fruits also move across the India–US trade route.

In 2024:

• Dates, figs, pineapples, and avocados exports reached about $27.45 million
• Coconuts and cashew nuts exports stood around $26.04 million

Smaller shipments of grapes, dried fruit mixes, and frozen fruits also appear in the data.

Most of these products enter the United States through specialized import distributors. From there they move into ethnic grocery chains, restaurants, and food manufacturers.

The Trade That Keeps Moving

Step back and look at the whole picture, and the India–US food trade starts to make sense.

Seafood dominates the numbers. Spices carry centuries of history. Rice holds steady demand. Honey, fruits, and processed ingredients fill the rest of the basket.

It’s not a trade built around one product

It’s a mix.

And that mix is exactly what keeps the supply chain moving between the two countries — shipment after shipment, year after year.