Pompeo Set For Talks In 'tariff King' India
Sumaira FH Published June 26, 2019 | 09:40 AM
New Delhi, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jun, 2019 ) :When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sits down with India's prime minister on Wednesday he will be trying to chart a path that keeps the Asian ally onside politically even as the two countries are at loggerheads over trade.
As a democratic heavyweight in a region dominated by authoritarian China, New Delhi is a natural bedfellow in Washington's effort to counter Beijing's rise.
But President Donald Trump's "America First" mantra and his easy resort to tariffs -- in what he says is a bid to bring jobs back to the US -- have complicated matters.
The relationship is particularly tricky because of India's own well-developed protectionism, often expressed through red tape that prevents foreign companies from competing in the huge market of more than a billion consumers, critics say.
Pompeo's talks with Narendra Modi come ahead of the Indian prime minister's mooted meeting with Trump at the G20 in Japan later this week, where import levies are expected to loom large.
Last year Washington refused to exempt India from higher steel and aluminium tariffs in an effort to reduce the US trade deficit with India, which in 2018 stood at $24 billion, according to official data.
Ties deteriorated this month when the US ended India's preferential trade status that allowed the Asian giant to send America $6 billion in goods duty-free every year.
India retaliated with tariffs on 28 items imported from the US, including almonds, apples and walnuts -- products close to the hearts of voters in Trump's rural base.
- Red tape - The bombastic US president, who frequently lashes out at trade and political partners, has dubbed India the "Tariff King".
The US is also irked by what it sees as a growing thicket of Indian bureaucracy for US companies such as Walmart, which last year invested $16 billion in Flipkart in a major bet on the local e-commerce market.
Rising tensions between the US and Iran have also affected India, with US waivers allowing New Delhi to buy Iranian oil having expired in May. Media reports said India will press Pompeo for a new exemption.
Eliot Engel, the Democrat who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said ahead of Pompeo's visit that recent US actions were at odds with Trump's promises that he would be a "true friend" to India.
Washington needs to show a "predictable, coherent, and consistent strategy," Engel told Pompeo in a letter, and to counter a growing view that it is seeking to "coerce" India on a range of issues.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
Finance minister reviews progress on FBR digitalization
Israeli-fired unexploded bombs could take 14 years to clear: UN
US stocks rebound on tech earnings, London hits new record
At least 10 people killed in Brazil fire: officials
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Modern Education Techniques: A pathway to achieve economic development
12 hours ago -
Kite Flying: From cultural festival to deadly sport
12 hours ago -
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
3 days ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
4 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
5 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
5 days ago
-
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
5 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
6 days ago -
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
8 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
11 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
12 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
12 days ago