44 American lawmakers ask Trump admin to restore GSP for India

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump’s meeting, 44 American lawmakers have asked the Trump administration to reinstate India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme as part of a potential trade deal between the two countries.

In a letter to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer dated September 17, they suggested an "early harvest" approach that "would ensure that long-sought market access gains for US industries are not held up by negotiations over remaining issues".

Modi will visit the US from September 21-27, during which he would address the annual UN General Assembly session and have a series of bilateral and multilateral engagements in New York. Trump will attend Modi’s Houston rally for Indian Americans later this week.


The US withdrew incentives to $6.3 billion of Indian exports under the GSP programme effective June 5 even as the two sides were discussing a trade package to end their trade spats. The move led to a collapse of talks.

Stating that “the costs are real for our constituents and growing everyday”, the lawmakers said: “Resolving some individual issues quickly could build some momentum for future successes”.

Argentina, Liberia and Myanmar are a few countries where the US reinstated the benefits after they made “sufficient progress” to be eligible for them.