44 U.S. lawmakers urge Trump administration to restore India’s trade concessions

India is by far the largest buyer of U.S. almonds, paying $543 million for more than half of U.S. almond exports in 2018, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is also the second largest buyer of U.S. apples, taking $156 million worth in 2018.

"A lot of American jobs depend on the trade between India and the United States." -the letter.
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Wednesday (September 18): “Just as U.S. industries are harmed by lack of fair and reciprocal access to India’s market, American companies and workers also are harmed by new tariffs due to the GSP termination,”  the members of Congress said in a letter seen by the news agency Reuters. 

The letter also says, a lot of American jobs depend on the trade between India and the United States.

The letter comes days ahead of a meeting between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In June this year, the United States ended its preferential trade treatment for India, removing it from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme that allowed duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its annual exports to the United States. The elimination of GSP brought higher retaliatory tariffs from New Delhi on 28 U.S. products including almonds, apples and walnuts.

After the Trump administration’s decision to remove trade privileges from Indian products under the GSP, U.S. and Indian trade negotiators met in July. But they failed to make any major progress on the issue of tariffs and other protectionist measures imposed by both sides.

India is by far the largest buyer of U.S. almonds, paying $543 million for more than half of U.S. almond exports in 2018, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is the second largest buyer of U.S. apples, taking $156 million worth in 2018.

On Sept. 22, Trump will travel to Houston, Texas, to participate in “Howdy Modi! Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” event with PM Modi and to “discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship.”

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