India clears regular imports of Argentine yerba mate after ending trial-only regime
India has added yerba mate to its Food Code, allowing Argentine suppliers to move from trial shipments to regular commercial trade. Industry representatives say the applicable tariff is now around 30%, compared with charges above 130% under the previous approval process.
Food Code amendment opens regular trade
India has formally incorporated yerba mate into its Food Code, replacing a system of experimental shipments and case-by-case approvals with regular commercial imports. Elonce reported that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, or FSSAI, made the product’s inclusion definitive, removing a regulatory obstacle that had limited access for Argentine exporters.
The approval followed coordination among the governments of Argentina’s Misiones and Corrientes provinces, the Argentine Foreign Ministry, the National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality, Indian health authorities and private companies. Misiones Agriculture and Production Minister Facundo López Sartori said the change allows companies to develop routine import operations and potentially supply India at a much larger scale. Mas Producción reported that several businesses are already preparing initial shipments for Indian customers and importers.
Tariff burden falls from above 130% to around 30%
Under the previous rules, Indian buyers had to submit a specific application because yerba mate was classified as an exotic product. Yonathan Klimiuk, manager of Klimiuk Infusiones, told Elonce that the procedure could take months and involved tariffs above 130%. Following inclusion in the Food Code, he said commercial contact between an Argentine supplier and an Indian importer is sufficient, while the current tariff is around 30%.
Klimiuk Infusiones is working with two Indian importers and preparing low-volume shipments. Other companies involved in the market-access effort include Playadito, Piporé, Las Marías and Primicia. No forecast for shipment volumes or the value of prospective trade was provided, meaning the immediate impact will depend on orders, distribution agreements and consumer uptake rather than regulatory approval alone.
Exporters adapt products to Indian consumption
Piporé has pursued the Indian market for more than a decade. Company partner Raúl Karaben said the business previously maintained an agency in India but closed it a year and a half ago because operating costs exceeded the return from sales. The company retained contact with Indian customers and continued sending occasional orders. Karaben said lower import charges could allow yerba mate to reach buyers at more accessible prices.
Argentine producers are also changing formats for a country without an established mate-drinking tradition. Corrientes Industry, Labor and Trade Minister Mariel Gabur said Las Marías developed blends packaged in tea bags, aligning the product more closely with Indian tea habits. Argentine processors can also supply soluble preparations and ingredients for other beverages, broadening the potential customer base beyond traditional loose-leaf mate.
New outlet for a saturated domestic market
The opening is particularly relevant to Misiones and Corrientes, Argentina’s main yerba mate-producing provinces. Misiones Governor Hugo Passalacqua described the approval as a source of additional work and opportunities for the province. The companies involved now need to convert regulatory access into recurring orders through importers, distributors and adapted retail products.
Gabur said Argentina’s domestic market, serving 50 million consumers, is saturated following several years of overproduction and argued that the industry must seek foreign markets. India offers substantial potential scale, but the first planned consignments remain small. For exporters, the immediate gain is a lower and more predictable entry barrier; for Indian importers, it is the ability to source yerba mate through a standard commercial process rather than a lengthy exceptional authorization.
