Source:
Economic Times India1 Jun 2009, 0014 hrs IST
NEW DELHI: India will take up with the US the issue of non-tariff barriers (NTBs)—or restrictions other than those related to tariffs—being faced by Indian businesses in exporting to the country at the next bilateral trade meeting. The commerce department is collecting inputs from various sectors on the restrictions they are facing in penetrating the US market, which would be eventually taken up with the US department of trade, a commerce department official said.
“Indian industries in various sectors such as agriculture, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, seafood and vehicles have been complaining about various barriers being faced by them in the US market. We are trying to compile them so that they can be taken up with the US government in a structured manner,” the official told ET.
Now that the new UPA government is in place and the US has a new trade representative, the next round of bilateral trade meeting between India and the US is expected soon, the official added.
Studies carried out by Indian research agencies show that the most frequently applied NTB on Indian goods are technical barriers to trade (TBT), including safety and food safety measures.
For instance, while the US allowed India to export mangoes after long years of negotiations, the high cost of irradiation (ensuring there are no fruit flies) and inspections by US officials increase the cost of operation, rendering Indian mangoes incompetitive.
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/India-to-fight-US-non-tariff-barriers/articleshow/4601445.cms