NEW DELHI – US Commerce Secretary hits out at India over unjustified tradebarriers by Delhi.
US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross has asked India to reduce trade barriersand termed New Delhi’s tariff rate as ‘unjustified’.
Speaking at the US-government backed business event ‘Indo Pacific TradeWinds’, Ross said, “Today, India is America’s 13th largest market due tooverly restrictive market-access barriers. The US is India’s largest exportmarket, that is a real imbalance.”
India’s average applied tariff rate is 13% with tariff on auto at 60%,bikes at 50% and Alcohol at 100%.
Calling it ‘unjustified’, Ross said, “US businesses face significantmarket-access barriers in India. These include both tariff and non-tariffbarriers, as well as multiple practises and regulations that disadvantageforeign companies.”
He, however, assured US companies that Washington is ‘working diligantlywith the Indian government’ on market access.