AFTI commends US-India trade dialogue

usa india flag webWASHINGTON, DC: The Alliance for Fair Trade with India (AFTI) at its meeting here touched upon the US-India Trade Policy Forum and Commercial Dialogue.

Though AFTI and its members welcome bilateral discussions between U.S. and India to improve and strengthen the countries’ economic and trade relationship, neither the Trade Policy Forum nor the Commercial Dialogue resulted in specific concrete actions to address challenges for U.S. businesses and manufacturers exporting to or operating in India.

As cited in AFTI’s recent letter to Ambassador Lighthizer, US industries want to see a more robust US-India commercial relationship and increased US-India trade – but must see concrete efforts to address issues in India that limit market access and undermine their competitiveness, including price controls, forced localization, technical barriers to trade and intellectual property barriers.

AFTI members hoped that the Indian delegation’s desire to “work towards resolution of the outstanding issues before the next round of the TPF” indicates a real willingness to find out concrete solutions that improve market access in India. The US and Indian governments need to continue to work together and to act swiftly to implement necessary policy reforms to strengthen the trade relationship.

The Alliance for Fair Trade with India (AFTI) is committed to supporting US businesses facing longstanding trade and investment barriers in India.

Neela Pandya