US policy change expected in India-US trade agreement

New Delhi New Delhi: The US is expecting several key policy changes from India as part of their trade deal, ranging from tariff reductions to regulatory reforms that could benefit US companies and exporters, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) reported on Sunday.

In the agriculture sector, the US is seeking a deregulation of India’s minimum support price (MSP) programmes, removal of restrictions on genetically modified (GM) imports, and reduction in agricultural duties. In addition, for dairy products, the US says India’s GM-free feed certification and registration process effectively bars imports of US dairy products.

India’s strict regulations on overseas e-commerce trade have also caused difficulties for US retail companies such as Amazon and Walmart. The US has also criticised India’s difficult licensing processes for imports of remanufactured and second-hand capital goods, which it sees as costly and slow.