India has urged the US Trade Representative to address all trade concerns within the framework of ongoing negotiations for the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) and not through unilateral measures.
Despite India's submissions in April and May, the USTR proposed to levy an additional duty of 12.5% on 54 countries, including India, for producing goods with forced labour.
India refuted the allegation of forced labour, saying that any trade concerns should be addressed within the framework of the trade negotiations and not through unilateral measures.
The investigation and the levy of the 12.5% additional duty was aimed at replacing the current 10% duty imposed by the US which expires on July 24.
India also told USTR that allegations on forced labor should be addressed within the framework of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which has a comprehensive supervisory mechanism to monitor compliance with international labor standards.
The India-US trade talks in New Delhi concluded on a positive note, with an interim BTA expected soon.
