India Poses Barriers to American Trade: USTR

WASHINGTON: Indian policies pose barriers to American trade and the U.S. will keep pressing India to remove obstacles to smoothen business relation, says a USTR report. Noting that it is holding talks with India both at bilateral and the World Trade Organization level, the 2014 report of the UN Trade Representative (USTR) on “Technical Barriers to Trade” listed out some of the issues obstructing trade relations.

Indian policies on wholesale foods labeling, security regulations on telecom equipment, safety testing requirements for electronics and IT equipment and proposed amendment to the hazardous waste act as trade barriers, the report said.

“The United States will continue to press India to resolve these issues in 2014,” the USTR said in its annual report released on Monday. According to the report, the proposed Fifth Amendment to the Hazardous Waste Act, published in November 2013, but not notified to the WTO, sets out conditions for the import and movement of used and refurbished electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

“The United States fully supports the protection of the environment and health against adverse impacts of wastes. U.S. industry has expressed concerns that, under the proposed Fifth Amendment, hazardous waste controls on imports of used EEE for direct reuse and imports of refurbished EEE pursuant to a service warranty, and other similar controls on EEE, would impose unnecessary burdens on trade that facilitates reuse and extension of life of EEE to the benefit of the environment,” it said.

U.S. electronics and IT goods manufacturers have raised concerns about the Indian Department of Electronics and Information Technology’s (DEITY) September 2012 order that mandates compulsory registration for 15 categories of imported electronic and IT goods, it said.

The policy, originally set to take effect from April 2013, mandates exporters to register their products with laboratories affiliated or certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

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