WASHINGTON – The United States is all set to give a big blow to ally Indiaover trade barriers.
He said on Thursday US was considering revoking import preferences forIndia, Indonesia and Kazakhstan over concerns about trade barriers andworker rights.
Exports from those countries could lose duty-free access to theUSlink> market if the USlink> Trade Representative decides thecountries have violated the conditions of the Generalized System ofPreferences.
“GSP provides an important tool to help enforce the Trump Administration’skey principles of free and fair trade across the globe,” Deputy USTRJeffrey Gerrish said in a statement.
“We hope that India, Indonesia and Kazakhstan will work with us to addressthe concerns that led to these new reviews.”
President Donald Trump has made trade central to his presidency, roilingmarkets and upsetting fellow Republicans by threatening to impose steeptariffs and scrap trade deals he says have undermined USlink> workers and industry.
He has yet to act on his harshest threats, however.
The USTR said it has concerns about trade barriers in India and Indonesia“that create serious negative effects on USlink> commerce,” thereby violating criteriafor GSP eligibility.
In addition, the US link> dairy and medicaldevice industries have complained that India blocks their exports, USTRsaid in statement.
Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO, the largest USlink> tradeunion federation, has accused authorities in Kazakhstan of denying workersthere the right to unionize and has harassed labour organisers.
The administration is reviewing GSP eligibility every three years, andlater this year will look at countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East,North Africa and the Western Hemisphere.