US senators object to wheat, rice subsidies in India; USTR says market access to India has improved
India has opened up its market to the American farming industry in as many as 12 different categories, a top Biden administration trade official told lawmakers on Wednesday as some influential senators raised the issue of wheat and rice subsidies in India and alleged forced labour in the country's shrimp industry. US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tie, responding to a series of questions from the senators during a congressional hearing on trade convened by the US Finance Committee, defended the Biden administration's actions.
«We are opening markets for hard-working American families and communities, especially our rural communities. Through negotiations, our administration has secured over USD 21 billion in new agricultural market access in the last three years,» she said.
«For example, after the US and India terminated seven WTO disputes, India agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs on several US products. This means improved access for chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnuts and apples, benefiting farmers across our country, including in Michigan, Oregon, California and Washington,» Tie said.
This means more market access for turkey, duck, blueberries and cranberries benefiting the farmers in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts and Minnesota, she added.
«Trade should work for all Americans. Our goal is to stop pitting Americans against each other in our trade policy and this is why we are taking unprecedented steps to incorporate more voices into trade policymaking,» Tie said.
Tie said
