US trade representative team visits India to advance talks for bilateral Trade Policy Forum

Senior officials of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are visiting India this week to advance talks for the bilateral Trade Policy Forum (TPF).

Assistant USTR for Central and South Asian Affairs Christopher Wilson and Assistant USTR for Agricultural Affairs Julie Callahan will be in New Delhi this week. The 12th India-US TPF ministerial meeting was held in November 2021 post which Washington resumed mango imports from India after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The two sides also finalised work on market access facilitation for pomegranates and pomegranate arils from India.

"A USTR working level delegation is visiting India this week to advance the US -India Trade Policy Forum," said a US embassy spokesperson. The next TPF is likely in November and the two sides are expected to explore the possibility of enhanced market access for additional identified agricultural products, and engage on Washington's concerns regarding regulatory approvals for the Distillers' Dried Grains with Solubles, an animal feed ingredient.


Sources said that the TPF working groups on trade in goods, agriculture, services, intellectual property and investment are working on plans of action and trade outcomes on outstanding bilateral trade issues. India's exports to the US in April-June FY23 were $21.67 billion while imports were $13.43 billion.