Armed with data, India to fight US’ non-tariff barriers at meet

[OhioChick]

Source: Economic Times India

1 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.




Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/India-to-fight-US-non-tariff-barriers/articleshow/4601445.cms

[47of74]

1. The U.S. should tell India to stuff it.

[FreakinDJ]

6. US should place tariffs on their goods

Why Not ! - India has 20% - 40% tariffs on American goods entering their country

[ihavenobias]

10. Yep. K & R # 5. n/t

[Selatius]

2. I don't know if that would be a good idea to remove those NTBs.

We have enough problems with alien species inside the US with respect to Indian-grown mangoes. I'm sure some of their grievances are valid, but at the same time, I don't think free trade should come at the cost of everything, including environmental integrity of our ecosystems or the right of employees to wages sufficient to make a living.

[msongs]

3. India gets our good paying jobs, we get contaminated mangoes. nt

[ChromeFoundry]

4. Screw India n/t

[strategery blunder]

5. You stole my job, and all I got was this contaminated mango. nt

[Lasher]

7. 'Non-tariff barriers' sounds pretty sinister.

Almost makes me feel guilty just because I don't want a plague of fruit flies from India.

[DatManFromNawlins]

8. Tell them to go pound sand

Non-tarriffed imports allow foreign countries to have a competitive advantage against products produced in the US and are one of the primary reasons for the rise of so many of the super-rich. How do you think Sam Walton got to be so rich? He bought tons of cheap shit from China and then sold it in the US at cut rate prices and made his money on volume while simultanously putting competitors, both for his business and for American manufacturers, out of business.

[fasttense]

9. Well, Communist China sells us poisoned pet food and toxic baby toys.

I see no reason why India can't sell us contaminated seafood and rotting mangoes. I mean "free" trade must be protected at any price. Eventually a consumer or two will get smart and stop buying up the garbage (if they can identify it since country of origin labels are optional). After a few hundred deaths, people will stop buying food from grocery stores all together.

I say India has a right to sell their infected products in the US just like China.
:sarcasm:

[piedmont]

11. That sort of entitlement attitude doesn't work well on the free market system

If our health and safety protections can't be met by their products, then it's their problem, not ours.