U.S., India Pledge to Work Toward Aligned 'Risk-Based' Regs on Agriculture, Food Safety
Trade officials from the United States and India pledged to work toward harmonization of regulations on animal and plant health and food safety issues, according to a joint statement from the Eighth India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum in New Delhi, India on Nov. 25 (here). Co-chaired by U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Indian Minister of Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman, talks centered on agricultural issues, harmonization of standards, and intellectual property rights.
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Froman and Sitharaman “expressed satisfaction” at a recent deal that will see India drop its opposition to the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement in return for leeway on food security programs (see 1411130027). They said they will work with other WTO members “to ensure that the WTO General Council takes this understanding forward towards a satisfactory outcome.”
As part of the discussions, India and the U.S. agreed to establish a new “technical dialogue” to promote cooperation on plant and animal health and food safety issues “in a manner that facilitates the movement of agricultural goods between the two countries.” Work will focus on establishing “science- and risk-based regulations and procedures” that conform to international guidelines, said the joint statement. The U.S. and India “noted each other’s requests” related to expanded market access for certain agricultural products, and “agreed to follow up on exploring the possibility” of allowing more trade in these agricultural goods.
Sitharaman and Froman also agreed to discuss mechanisms for stakeholder input on the regulatory process. They highlighted efforts in both countries to create single window clearance systems, and agreed to exchange information on testing, packaging, and labeling requirements. On intellectual property, the U.S. and India agreed to “deepen cooperation to build capacity and generate awareness” on copyrights, while committing to find “ways in which trade and innovation policies can enhance access to quality health and affordable medicines.” The U.S. pharmaceutical industry has criticized India for its patent rules on pharmaceuticals (see 14100624).
Industry had pushed for concrete outcomes from the Trade Policy Forum during the lead up to the event (here). A letter from the Alliance for Fair Trade with India, which includes the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said these outcomes should include addressing “prohibitively high tariffs and discriminatory forced localization requirements that are blocking U.S. exports on a wide range of products,” as well as burdensome testing and safety requirements on information and communication technology products. The letter also said the U.S. and India need to address “onerous” requirements for patents on medicines, as well as the need for “robust and enforceable” copyrights.