Lawmakers Petition ITC To Investigate Indian Trade Policy
A group of bipartisan, high-profile lawmakers petitioned on Aug. 2 the International Trade Commission to investigate alleged Indian discrimination against U.S. exports and investment and intellectual property rights violation. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., Ranking Member Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Ranking Member Sander Levin, D-Mich., requested a thorough examination of India’s industrial trade policies and the impacts on U.S. commercial interests, for November 2014 submission.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
The joint statement emphasized the strategic value that continues to play a fundamental role in the U.S.-Indian diplomatic partnership. The lawmakers commended the Indian government for instituting policy that has brought millions of Indians out of poverty, but criticized the tariff and non-tariff barriers to U.S. interests that remain intact. Due to such policies among others, the lawmakers noted U.S. exports are low, registering at just $22.3 billion in 2011.
“Beyond any particular action India has taken, the government has enunciated a broader policy objective to develop and support Indian domestic industries by forcing foreign firms to use local facilities and suppliers and to transfer their intellectual property to Indian entities. Government documents indicate that India is likely to adopt additional measures to this end, and expand these sorts of measures to additional sectors, creating significant concern and uncertainty for U.S. exporters and investors,” the petition letter read. “Finally, we are very concerned about the broader impact that India’s trade policy may be having on the global trading system, both in terms of the model it is setting for other countries and the drag it is exerting on multilateral trade negotiations.”