India, US look at non-tariff measures

NEW DELHI: India and the US have discussed issues going beyond trade in goods to include non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation and economic security alignment, among other issues, an official statement said Thursday.

A team from USTR office was in India since Monday to advance negotiations on the trade agreement, which has been in the works for over 15 months now.

"The engagements were marked by a spirit of cooperation and pragmatism, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to concluding a mutually beneficial agreement that strengthens bilateral trade and economic ties," an official statement said a day after the USTR proposed 12.5% additional tariff on India and over 50 other countries for their alleged failure to check the imports of goods using forced labour.

Both India and the US have maintained that the talks on the legal text of the proposed agreement are in the final stages. A decision on the rate of additional levy depends on how the Trump administration deals with the issue in the coming weeks as the 10% current levy expires next month.