Punjab Farmers Blocked at Shambhu Border in Resolute Protest Against Proposed India-US Trade Agreement

Hundreds of Punjab farmers were halted at the Shambhu border by Haryana police while marching toward Delhi to protest the upcoming India-US trade deal. Protesters argue the agreement will devastate domestic agriculture and dairy sectors by allowing an influx of cheaper American imports.

RMN News Trade Desk
New Delhi | July 22, 2026

Farmers Resonate Opposition to India-US Trade Pact at Shambhu Border

In July 2026, tensions escalated at the Punjab-Haryana border as hundreds of farmers, organized under the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, attempted a “Delhi Chalo” march to participate in a Kisan Mahapanchayat. On Tuesday, July 21, Haryana police deployed multi-layer concrete barricades and restricted vehicular movement at the Shambhu border to prevent the protesters from reaching the national capital. This blockade mirrors the security measures seen during the 2020 protests against the now-repealed farm laws.

  The proposed India-US deal threatens to flood our markets with cheap imports, destroying the livelihoods of rural dairy farmers and women in agriculture.

Concerns Over Agricultural Livelihoods: Sarwan Singh Pandher, a prominent leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, stated that the proposed India-US trade deal poses a direct threat to the country’s food sovereignty. Farmers fear that a reduction in import tariffs will lead to the flooding of the Indian market with cheaper American dairy and agricultural products. Pandher highlighted that a sharp fall in milk prices would specifically target the supplementary income of rural households, where women perform the bulk of dairy work.

Also Read:

[ Adani-Trump-Modi: The $500B Immunity Deal ]

[ Rural Resistance: Protests by Farmers in India ]

Beyond immediate farming concerns, the unions allege that the pact’s scope includes digital trade, e-commerce, intellectual property rights, and government procurement, which could adversely affect small traders and micro-enterprises. The protesters are demanding that the central government abandon the proposed agreement and consult with all stakeholders before finalizing any international trade deals.

  Multi-layer concrete barricades return to the Shambhu border as Punjab’s farmers demand the total abandonment of the upcoming international trade pact.

Political Standoff and Potential Dialogue: The blockade has drawn criticism from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who questioned why authorities were repeating past confrontational tactics and urged the government to resolve grievances through dialogue.

By Tuesday evening, a potential breakthrough emerged when Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana met with farm leaders. Rana reportedly assured the protesters that a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would be arranged within a week to move the dialogue forward. Despite this assurance, farm leaders remain cautious, noting that the outcome of future meetings is yet to be determined.